Advice From a 5,000 Year Old Pharaoh
by aphrael21
Summary: Kaiba needs a date. A new twist on an old plot. Chapter eighteen is up in which Yugi finds a... broom and Mokuba amazes everyone... SetoAnzu
1. Prologue

**Advice From a 5-000 Year Old Pharaoh**

**Prologue**

"_You arrogant, egotistical, self-obsessed, overconfident, overbearing, cocky excuse for a man_…"

Each precisely enunciated, and _very_ scathing, word echoed off the lockers and reverberated through the hallways of Domino High. Two participants, one male and one female, stood across the hallway from each other. With her hands fisted at her sides, and shaking with rage, she glared at the guy standing five feet away from her. With his arms crossed over his chest, wrinkling the pristine white shirt that was part of his school uniform, his eyes revealed none of the emotions that were currently flooding his system. His one weapon in the epic struggle that was taking place. If she couldn't read how he was feeling, she would have no way to attack him.

How wrong he was.

The debacle he was currently in had all started out innocently enough. The final bell ending classes for the day had rung half an hour before and the student body had raucously filed out after gathering all homework necessities from their lockers. **She** had stayed behind to practice in the empty gym, the booming baseline of her music creating a dull thudding throughout the rest of the school. **He** had stayed behind for two reasons; the first being to avoid the crowding of the hallways as the lowly peons rushed out to do whatever it was they did after classes were over.

"… _I would like to know what God-given right states that you can just walk up to me and **command** me to do anything_…"

After finishing her dance practice in the gym, she'd promptly headed for her locker to gather her books and jacket. The weather had turned a little chilly in the last couple of days and it was better to be safe than sorry, he'd overheard her say to herself as she shut the locker door with a bang. Turning around, the surprise on her face had been easy to read. She hadn't been expecting anyone to be there, waiting for her.

Especially not him.

That was the other reason he had been so tardy in leaving and that was why he was currently enduring the sharper edge of her tongue. He thought everything had been worked out perfectly. No one else had been around to witness what he'd had to do. Just the way he'd wanted it. Or so he thought.

"… _I'm not one of your lackeys, ready to jump when you say 'Frog' nor am I one of your fan girls, sighing, batting their eyelashes and gawking like lovesick puppy dogs at your obnoxious presence in this school. After everything we've been through, you should know me better than that_…"

The tirade of her well-chosen words continued unabated in the wake of what he'd done. And, he had to admit, her vocabulary was quite extensive. He should have known better. Should have done more planning instead of acting so rashly. Her fire was something he hadn't taken into account when he'd come up with the idea. Now he was paying for his impetuous decision. He should have remembered that she had a will of her own, that it was almost as strong as his own was, and she wasn't afraid to use it. She'd proven it to him too many times before. In fact, that was one of the things he admired most about her. Not _liked,_ but admired. From the moment she'd stepped forward and questioned him atop the tower during Duellist Kingdom to the argument they'd had in the virtual realm about 'family business', she'd been in his face.

"_Should I be flattered that you chose me instead of one of the girls that worship the ground you walk on? Should I be squealing for joy that the great Seto Kaiba has come down from Heaven to speak to lowly me? Get real and get a clue…"_

This was definitely not the scenario he'd envisioned in his mind. Nowhere close, even. As her words echoed through the empty hallways, he allowed himself a small grimace. How and when had everything gone so horribly wrong?

She'd been startled to find him waiting for her when she'd shut her locker door but a bright smile had graced her delicate features as her blue eyes had peered up at him, questioning his sudden appearance.

"Kaiba, hi! What are you still doing here? Thought you'd be at your office by now." A small tremor had rippled through him, as her words seemed to caress some small part of his mind. She always was the one that was nice to him. Even when she was being a tad bit on the bitchy side, at least she let him know how she really felt.

The words had hung in the air between them for a moment as he'd thought about what he'd needed to say to her. That had been his last chance to back out of everything with his pride, confidence and ego intact. He hadn't realized how much he was depending upon her willingness to extend the olive branch of friendship to him.

"Kaiba? You okay?" Her hand waving in front of his face brought him out of his self-induced reverie and a feeling of… something… flashed through him at the look of concern in her eyes.

"… _and the offer of "monetary compensation" is supposed to what? **Placate** me into accepting the fact that you just commanded me to… ooooooooooo that is some nerve you have SETO KAIBA…"_

Steeling himself, more to 'buck up' his own courage than anything else, he'd glanced down at her and moved a single step closer to her. His mouth was dry. His palms were sweaty. She had to accept his proposal or else he was doomed to eternal humiliation and embarrassment at the hands of Siegfried von Schroeder.

The invitation had arrived three weeks before and Seto had kept putting it off, 'it' being the finding of a suitable companion. To be honest, it had actually slipped his mind completely. Too many other things vied for his attention. Primarily, his little brother Mokuba was noticing girls as something more than just classmates. Second, testing had entered Phase 2 for his new Duel Disk System. Third, the contract for another Kaiba Land was in full negotiations. Finally, exams, assignments and projects took up the rest of his precious free time.

It had been his secretary who'd brought the invitation back to the forefront of his attention. That was when the tension headaches had started. Von Schroeder had forced his hand into finding someone suitable to accompany him to his annoying get-together with one, single line.

**Seto Kaiba and guest.**

Even after the disaster von Schroeder had turned his KaibaCorp. Grand Tournament into, there was no way he was going to lose face in front of that smug, pink-haired, power-hungry freak. Seto had dismissed the notion of an escort service immediately. Any girl he'd taken from one of 'those' places would have been too busy schmoozing some rich, old geezer to pay proper attention and respect to him. Not to mention, von Schroeder would have seen through that ploy. No, he needed someone else. Someone who could be charming, endearing, sincere and friendly.

Besides, Mazaki was the best-looking, least-annoying girl he knew.

Usually.

"…_I can't believe that you would just expect me to drop **everything** and go with you to some stupid party! You think I don't have a life? That I'll come running at your beck and call? Drop dead, **Kaiba!**..."_

Maybe today hadn't been the best day to approach her on. She'd been acting strangely ever since English in first period. A fit of giggles had overtaken her and it was the threat of detention for a week that had finally deterred her bizarre antics. She wasn't in his second period class, Business Economics, but he'd seen her dash through the hallways to the bathroom before lunch, red-faced with tears streaking her cheeks. Her little friends had stood outside the doorway, almost guarding her privacy, talking in whispers and nodding knowingly. Mazaki had come out a few minutes later, her eyes and nose red and runny and a weak smile on her lips. The group had noticed him then and with eyes narrowed, he'd watched them march her off to the cafeteria without a backward glance.

"Well, what do you want?" she'd pleasantly asked him again. His final chance at remaining dignified had crumbled under the pressure of those blue, blue eyes. Of course, the words hadn't come out exactly as he'd rehearsed or even intended. The traditional Kaiba coldness had taken over at his hesitation to act.

"Mazaki, one week from tomorrow, you will accompany me to Siegfried von Schroeder's Grand Spring Ball. Proper attire and monetary compensation will be given to you for your troubles. My limo will arrive for you at 6 p.m. sharp. Don't be late."

The ice in his voice had surprised even him as he watched the sunny smile melt from her lips and an angry edge claim her normally bewitching blue eyes at his pronouncement.

And **that** was how the whole, sorry situation had started. That was why he was standing there, ten minutes after Mazaki had stormed off in an angry huff, still listening to her words as they played over and over like the proverbial broken record in every single corner of his mind. Everything she'd said had been true.

Turning around on his heel, he hefted his briefcase in his right hand and left the scene of his utter humiliation. If anyone had seen his face right then, they never would have suspected that he'd suffered a more crushing defeat than losing his duelling title to Yugi Motou.

* * *

Yugi poked his head around the corner and saw that the coast was clear. Kaiba had finally stormed off from his post in the school and headed off to his office. If only he'd been able to see Kaiba's face when Anzu had told him to drop dead. It would have been absolutely priceless. Not that he was enjoying Kaiba's suffering or anything.

"Well, what do you think, Pharaoh? Should we go and offer Kaiba our 'services'?" Yugi glanced over at the form that floated comfortably next to him. The smirk on the Spirit's face gave him his answer.

"Let us proceed to Kaiba's office with haste. Such an opportunity will not arise again for us to get what we desire."

With a spring in his step, Yugi made for the front doors of Domino High, intent on the prey that was just now getting into a limo before proceeding to his 'safe' office.

* * *

Well, here it is. The beginning of a new story. Please let me know if I should continue on with this story or if you think I could do anything to improve it so far.

Just a word of warning – the next chapter won't be up for a while, at least a month or two so don't get your hopes up! ;)

Thanks for everything!

Aphrael21;)


	2. Confrontation

Chapter 1 – **Confrontation**

Finally, here is the first chapter in my new story. Wow, I can't believe that I'm actually starting, really starting a new story. "Christmas Chaos" was so long in the making that I thought it would never be done. The scary thing is, it isn't. An epilogue is in the works as we speak although it will be a while before it comes out. But I promised you all a new chapter for this story, so here it is. Without further rambling, let's see what mischief Yugi and Yami get themselves and Kaiba into…

* * *

The squeal of hinges and a resounding 'thwap' as the door to his office was rudely thrown open drew him out of his self-imposed trance. His eyes took a moment to readjust after staring blankly at the computer screen for the last half hour, her words still echoing truth through his mind. He hadn't been able to get any work done at all. Nothing. Except for changing the colour of the cursor as it flashed on the screen, much as her eyes had in the hallway.

Drawing a deep breath, he didn't even turn towards the door as he responded to the noise. "Clarisse, I thought I told you I wasn't to be disturbed." Holding in his fury at his incompetent secretary, Seto finally glanced at the door when he didn't hear her whimpered apology. What he saw made his heartbeat triple.

What the hell was **he** doing here?

"I… I'm sorry, M… Mr. Kaiba. I tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen when I said you weren't to be disturbed…" Her words trailed off to a soft, non-existent whisper as the red, flustered face grew closer to tears at the reprehensible look on his face. She was supposed to obey his orders and yet she'd failed in this one simple task. He had a good mind to fire her on the spot but decided at the last second against it. She was less incompetent than the last one he'd fired on Tuesday. At least this one could make a decent cup of coffee first thing in the morning.

"Don't blame her, Kaiba. I would have come barging in to see you no matter who had been guarding your door." Yugi had stopped in the middle of Kaiba's office, looking for all the world as if he were about to play his best trump card during a championship duel.

The sniffling secretary, Clarisse Montagne he remembered, backed away slowly as the temperature in the office dropped by about a million degrees as the two rivals regarded each other. The door shut silently behind her and Seto almost sighed in relief. One less problem to worry about. She was quiet as a mouse so he didn't need to fear that she would be eavesdropping on the other side of the door. Word of the meeting was probably already spreading through the building like wildfire but the exact nature of the meeting would still be between himself and the boy staring at him, his violet eyes alight with laughter.

Seto turned the intensity of his glacial gaze up a notch and gave voice to his earlier thought. "And just what the hell are you doing here? I don't remember ordering shrimp."

Yugi's dark chuckle grated on his last nerve. "Feeling a little testy today, Kaiba? It's no wonder after that fiasco in the hallway." The King of Games strutted closer, shoulders thrown back and head held high as he locked eyes with Kaiba. The way he moved towards the chair directly across from him screamed of confidence and, dare he say it, arrogance. When had the kid picked up such self-assurance? And he still hadn't stated the reason for his presence in **his** office yet. Seto wasn't used to asking twice. Wait, he'd mentioned something about the hallway. Yugi couldn't know… there was no way…

"What business is it of yours how I'm feeling? Get out, Yugi. I don't have time to deal with the likes of you today." His voice didn't even tremble as he said that, a sure sign that he had his emotions fully under control. He couldn't afford to lose that control right now… not after what Mazaki had done to him.

"No."

If it had been anyone else, he would have been calling security but a gut feeling told him that it wouldn't be that easy to get rid of the pint-sized pineapple head. The kid could be like a dog with a chew-toy. Besides, Seto needed to know what Yugi had been talking about when he'd mentioned the hallway. A flutter of fear gripped him, as the smirk on Yugi's face grew that much wider at Seto's hidden discomfort, almost as if he were enjoying it.

Silence hung in the air as Yugi moved through the office and took the leather chair directly opposite Kaiba's own. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear that Kaiba was nervous. The normally, very collected teenage billionaire looked distinctly more uncomfortable than usual as his blue eyes gazed at anything but him. Perfect, he'd gotten the upper hand much more quickly than he'd thought.

'_Your turn, Pharaoh.'_

Leaning back slightly in the black leather chair, Yugi relaxed as the Spirit took control of his body. It was only fair since it had been his idea to come here in the first place, when they'd first overheard Anzu greeting Kaiba and the resulting nuclear fallout.

'_Thank you, Yugi.'_

Seto jerked back and blinked hard as a subtle, but noticeable, change came over Yugi. Was it just his imagination or had Yugi just sprouted another 4 inches of height and gained a crimson tinge to his normally bright violet eyes? The debacle with Mazaki must have stressed him out more than he'd thought. An appointment to the optometrist was a good possibility, too.

"No, Kaiba, you're not imagining anything," a deep, rich voice intoned. That definitely didn't sound like Yugi, whose voice was usually quite a bit higher. About four octaves higher, in fact. "Yugi and I have switched places. Don't you remember our helicopter ride together during Battle City as we searched for Anzu and Mokuba and I told you of my existence? I'm hurt, Kaiba." The expression of mock-sympathy set Seto's teeth on edge and a low growl almost broke through his wall of self-imposed silence.

"Last warning, Yugi or whoever you are. Get out of my office before I throw you out myself." It was more of a reflex than anything else that made him say it. Curiosity killed the cat, satisfaction brought him back. Seto wasn't going to ask him again to state his reason for invading his private domain. His heart wasn't actually in the utterance, though many would have argued the presence of his heart in the first place. Anz…Mazaki wouldn't have…

"You may call me Yami and for the last time, Kaiba, I will tell you that I am not leaving. Not yet. You need my help too much to dismiss me so lightly." Let him chew on that thought for a moment. Yugi gave the Pharaoh a silent thumbs-up. This was going perfectly according to plan. Kaiba was too curious for his own good. Slowly, he saw Kaiba's eyes widen just the tiniest bit in disbelief. How easy was he to goad? And it didn't take Yami much to be able to read him like a proverbial book. He was too used to observing him from their duels.

"What would I need your help with? I don't need help from anyone." Leaning back in his padded leather chair, Seto stared at 'Yami'. How dare he barge into his office to offer his pathetic assistance? Seto had no need of help from anyone. He had learned to rely on his own wits and courage and so far, they hadn't failed him.

"After what I overheard in the hallways of the school, you would need the hand of Ra himself to make amends with Anzu after what you've done. Fortunately, you have me." Now Yami had him, hook, line and sinker. Kaiba couldn't have looked more interested in what he'd had to say, although he tried to hide it behind a mask of indignation. The look only lasted a second or two but it was enough to let Yami know how Kaiba was feeling. In fact, it was just about time for Kaiba to lose it…

Three…

Two…

One…

Crack…

"The… the hallway? I have no idea what you're talking about…"

'_Reel in the line, Yugi. We have just pulled out a flabbergasted CEO.' Yugi's chuckle echoed merrily around his soul room and the insufferable smirk of victory on the Spirit's face made it just that much more entertaining. _

'_If Kaiba could see his face in a mirror right now… he'd swear he was a fish. His cheeks are about to explode!'_

"Yes, Kaiba. The hallway of Domino High School. I overheard your 'conversation' with Anzu. I can't believe your bad luck. You had to pick today to be your usual arrogant, egotistical, self-obsessed, overconfident, overbearing self, didn't you? Even after everything you witnessed before lunch, I would have thought even you had more brains than that."

"The only thing I witnessed at lunch was Mazaki bawling her foolish head off as she ran into the bathroom." That had been a little on the strange side, but then again, there was nothing normal about Mazaki's choice of friends either. Jou, as they called him, was nothing more than a dog with more bark than bite. Honda was a lazy, spike-haired flirt that couldn't duel his way out of a wet paper bag. And Yugi believed way too much in the heart of the cards and in the existence of magic, Pharaoh's and Millennium items. Mazaki herself seemed to be the most normal out of the entire bunch.

"Do you know why she was crying, Kaiba? Or why she was laughing in English this morning? Or why she was so quick to anger with you after school when she normally would have just said no and been done with you?" Yami leaned back to watch the procession of emotions across Kaiba's startlingly blue eyes. From interest to disdain to undisguised bewilderment crossed his face but he had nothing to say. Yami was ready to shake his head in sorrow at the job he'd decided to undertake when he'd first come here. It would take the hand of three Ra's and assorted underlings to get through to Kaiba.

"You really don't understand women do you, Kaiba? The one time each month that makes them a little more sensitive and susceptible to their emotions and you pounced on Anzu in the hallway like a rhino on thin ice. You need my help more than I thought if you still want Anzu to accompany you to that Spring Ball." Yami sat forward a little on the chair, a wry grin on his lips at Kaiba's obliviousness. The CEO had led such a sheltered life that he didn't even understand that there were certain times that a man just did not approach a woman and command her to do anything. Today had been the day with Anzu. Yugi had sensed it on their walk to school as she skipped from topic to topic and emotion to emotion. A roller coaster ride with its highs and lows.

Kaiba let a slow breath pass through his lips as he thought about what Yami had just revealed. He'd never realized that Mazaki was so… emotional… in that way. Not that he'd ever taken the time to notice it before. He knew she was passionate about her friends when they were duelling or when they were in trouble but this… this was something out of his realm of experience. Not having sisters and not having had a mother figure for most of his life may have been partly to blame for that as well. So much truth lay in Yami's words and yet he still didn't want to accept help from the 'Spirit'.

"And just what makes you think that I'd want her to come with me now, anyways?"

A soft chuckle broke through the air between them and Kaiba watched the crimson tinted eyes dance merrily. "Because I know you, Kaiba. You've thought about your little encounter with her and realized that she didn't actually say no. Berated you, belittled you, called you names and told you to drop dead, yes, but she didn't reject you or your offer. On some level, you see that as a challenge. Besides, what other girl could you ask that wouldn't be a simpering idiot simply by being in your presence. Ra knows, you have that effect on most of the girls in the school, Anzu being the exception of course."

Seto looked up at the ceiling of his office. Could Yami possibly be psychic? Otherwise, how could he know that those were his thoughts before someone had rudely interrupted them by barging into his office? Seto was proud of his own abilities to read his opponents and find their weakness before he either duelled them or brought them in for negotiations at KaibaCorp. Now the tables were turned and somehow, this Yami character had analyzed him and found his own weakness. Seto was never one to back down from a challenge.

Mazaki was a challenge that he was looking forward to taking on.

"And how exactly would I need your help in the first place? I'm quite capable of asking Mazaki again myself tomorrow at school." That had been his plan all along except he would change the details of the encounter. No longer would he be the commanding CEO but more… polite when he asked her again. She wouldn't seriously reject him this time, she couldn't. He needed her help too much to let her get away.

"You **are **quite capable of that and, even though I would dearly love to see that confrontation, which is what it would turn into, I would like to see you succeed in your next approach." So close to his goal of getting Kaiba to agree had Yami and Yugi both on Cloud Nine. If this worked…

"So what are you proposing? How will having you help me ensure my success?" He needed to know more. More about girls, that was the truth. Maybe there was something that Yami could offer him that would help him. Losing face in front of von Schroeder was not something he was looking forward to. Seto had to stay calm and cool though the flutter of fear had turned quickly to one of temptation. It wouldn't be wrong to accept help from someone, would it, especially if it gained him what he wanted? Mazaki…

"Because Kaiba, unlike you, I know Anzu, quite well in fact. Not to mention, I have some clue as to how the female mind works. I **was** a Pharaoh 5,000 years ago."

"And that helps me how? I seem to have missed your reasoning." Seto's eyes narrowed as Yami let out a sigh of frustration before steepling his fingers together.

"As Pharaoh, Kaiba, I was required to have a wife." His voice had taken on the tone used to explain simple things to a small child. It seemed to be the only way to get his point across since Kaiba refused to use what he called a brain to come up with the answer himself. Kaiba could be thick as a doorpost at times. But if it had to be this way, then so be it… "More than one wife, actually, and not all of them were happy arrangements. I had to learn to love all of my wives in my own way, although sometimes it was from a forty foot radius." The last words were uttered almost under Yami's breath but Seto heard them anyways. It was almost enough to pull a smile onto his lips. Almost. Maybe he wasn't so all knowing after all, as he usually portrayed himself to be during duels. "So in answer to your question, my past experiences will lead to your future success."

"And what if they don't? What if you fail me and Mazaki doesn't accompany to the Spring Ball at von Schroeder's? What do I have then except embarrassment and humiliation?" Kaiba was an executive to the end. Shrewd, cunning and always looking out for number one. He wouldn't technically lose face to anyone except von Schroeder. After all, he didn't **need **to have a date. Seto Kaiba didn't **need** anything. It was only to show up that pink-haired dweeb, to stay one step ahead of him.

"Then, Kaiba, to compensate for that, we will have our final duel for the title of King of Games in any venue you choose, televised internationally, on any night of your choice. On one condition of course." This was it. The final step of Yami's proposal. Kaiba would never turn this opportunity down.

"What condition?"

"If you do succeed in having Anzu accompany you to the Spring Ball, with my help of course, then you will forever cease your ridiculous attempts to **force** me to duel you once more. That is my price." Yami held his breath as he watched Kaiba's face closely. Any hint would be in his favour right now.

Seto leaned back in his chair, digesting what Yami had just told him. It seemed to be a win-win situation. If Mazaki went with him, he succeeded in pulling out the rug from under von Schroeder. If Mazaki didn't go with him, he had an opportunity to finally claim his title as the King of Games and regain the respect he deserved for it. The publicity for the event would in turn boost his company sales after the plummet they'd taken before the Grand Prix tournament was held.

"You have yourself a deal."

The world shook in that moment as the hand of the CEO clasped the hand of the ancient Pharaoh in the time-honoured tradition of concluding a business agreement.

* * *

There you have it, folks. Chapter one finished and completed. Chapter two is already in the works as we speak, at least, the ideas are written out. Hope you enjoyed it!

And yes, I realize that I am taking some liberties with Yami's past life, but hey, this is fan-fiction right?

Leave a review, if you want. It might make me write just that much faster ;)

Aphrael21;)


	3. Dilemma

Chapter 2 – **Dilemma**

The deal has been sealed but what do they do now? And poor Anzu, she's feeling just a wee bit depressed about the whole hallway incident. How is she going to cope since Yami is busy with Kaiba? This and more will be revealed in the following chapter.

Enjoy folks! And I know that I said that I would try writing it out first and then posting but what the hell? I'll just write and post as I finish the chapters. They're not taking me too long to write. Usually about three weeks. Or so… but…

I have to learn to drink less when I write… ;)

* * *

_Meanwhile, in a bedroom not that far away…_

The purple and white comforter Anzu had her face buried in muffled the sounds of her heart-wrenching sobbing. She'd done nothing but cry since arriving home almost a half-hour before. And berate herself for being a totally stupid idiot. The tears had come unbidden as she remembered telling Kaiba off – to his face no less. It was one thing to _think_ that he was an arrogant, egotistical, self-obsessed, overconfident, overbearing cocky excuse for a man but it was a completely new ballgame when said to his face. The one question that kept flitting through her mind was why he'd had to pick today, of **all** days, to ask her out, when her emotions were out of whack and she was at their complete and utter mercy.

The cramps hadn't helped any, either.

A good workout, a nice strenuous dance routine, usually eased the pain to a more bearable level but today had been different. After her first five minutes dancing on the stage in the gym, she knew that it wasn't working so she'd switched to something more upbeat and difficult. Still no change to the level of pain she was enduring during every spasm across her insides. That was when she'd had enough and stepped outside of everything she'd been taught at her dance lessons. Stopping for a moment, she'd let the music flow around her, into her, bathing her in the booming base, and let her feet take her where they would. A smile had been on her lips as she felt the pain in her middle lessen and the knots everywhere else release as she worked the dance out of her soul.

She should have known that something so uplifting and energizing was going to be countered by something equally degrading.

Sniffling a little into her pillow, she remembered being surprised when she'd shut her locker door to find Seto Kaiba standing not three feet away from her, staring at her, and almost… devouring her with his eyes. A wild flutter had made its presence known in her stomach and she'd prayed that that's all it was. Not a cramp, although the way he'd made her feel, a cramp should have been welcome. It was almost like she'd felt when she'd had a, dare she say it, _crush_ on the Spirit that lived within Yugi. It had been short-lived as she'd grown to accept Yami as more of a friend than anything else. Nothing could have happened between them anyways, since he still shared a body with Yugi. It just wouldn't have been right to ask Yugi to step aside so she could spend time with the Pharaoh. Maybe if he'd had his own body… no, dwelling on ifs and maybes never gave anything but heartache and misery.

Sighing in resignation that her life was ruined and over after the catastrophic hallway incident with him, she sniffed once or twice as she remembered what Kaiba had looked like as he stood by her locker. He'd looked so handsome. She'd never denied that he was attractive, at least to herself. She understood exactly why the girls at school acted as they did. Closing her eyes, she made herself look at her memory of him just that much more closely. His chestnut hair had glinted gold where the harsh fluorescent lights had kissed it. The pristine white, school-issued uniform shirt normally looked frumpy on any other male student. Not on him, though. It had defined rather than just covered and she'd taken a split second to admire the way it had stretched tautly across his chest when he'd moved closer to her.

It hadn't been enough that her visual senses were already overloaded with the sight of him, he'd had to take that single step and envelop her in whatever warm, earthy aftershave he wore. She'd been seconds away from swooning to the tiled floor like one of his many lovesick fan girls. The only thought that had kept her standing in the presence of his seemingly faultless physical perfection was avoiding the endless smart-ass remarks he would hurl at her until time ended. That had kept her feet firmly planted, her shoulders haughtily thrown back and her head out of the clouds.

Too bad his attitude sucked.

She'd looked up and met his steely blue eyes then. Cold, calm and… disgusted. It was as if he hadn't even wanted to be there, so close to her, as if he'd rather have been a million miles away dodging bullets or wrestling alligators barehanded. With her emotions playing havoc on her system, something in his eyes had lit her fuse. To which emotion she hadn't been sure, until he'd gone and opened his big, fat mouth and said what he'd said. Normally, she wasn't quick to anger, heavens knew she had to be patient with the friends she had, but the combination of the spark from his eyes and an unexpected cramp ripping through her system had decided his fate.

Madness had flooded her body and every fibre of her being had screamed at her to give vent to her anger and slap him into next week for just **assuming** that she would do whatever he wanted with no questions and no argument. No one talked to her that way. Even Joey, who usually teased and joked with her, backed off when she was in one of **_those_** moods. How dare Seto Kaiba take that tone of voice with her! Flopping onto her back on the bed, she stared at the ceiling for a moment, reliving the anger she'd felt and wondering if she'd just committed social suicide. Any girl in the school would have killed to have been in her position and yet, she'd almost flat out refused him on the spot. That was another thing. She hadn't actually said 'no' to him. Would he try again another time or was today a one time only offer? Would she say 'yes' the next time he asked? Did she _want _there to be a next time? Too much thinking…

God, she was so confused. Why did he have to pick today? Why couldn't it have been yesterday or tomorrow, when she was feeling a little more personable and human instead of a raving, emotional psychopath? A fresh burst of tears rose from her bright blue eyes but they were from rage this time. Well, he'd chosen to talk to her **today**, so he had suffered the consequences of her righteous wrath at being treated like an object with no feelings and supposedly no life. Sitting up in bed, she caught a glimpse of herself in the vanity mirror that sat atop her dresser and saw exactly what she looked like.

'_Anzu, thy name is raving, emotional psychopath,'_ she thought as she noticed her red-rimmed eyes and cherry red nose – a little brighter than they had been during her lunchtime breakdown.

Wait, why did she even care about Kaiba's unbelievably bad timing in asking her out? It wasn't as if he'd ever asked her for anything before. Sure, she said 'Hi' to him in the hallways and heard a non-committal grunt in response but that didn't mean they were friends. She was nice to everyone she knew, some more than others and she figured that saying hello to Kaiba couldn't really hurt anything that wasn't really there. He'd never 'hung out' with them other than during duelling tournaments. He was always so busy with his company and… other stuff that he didn't have time to do the things that normal teenagers did.

But what if… she allowed herself to pursue _this_ line of thought… what if he were trying to come out of his glacial shell. Maybe he'd been nervous about asking her out. Probably hadn't meant for it to come out as a command. He needed a 'date' to some function for his company and she'd gone and let him have it in the middle of the hallway. At least no one had been around to witness her self-humiliation. No one, except **him**. Why had he asked her anyways? Why not one of his many fan girls? What was so special about her? Heavens knew she was the only one that didn't have a personal 'nickname' from him. Yugi was 'shrimp', Jou was 'mutt' and Honda was 'freak'. Anzu had nothing like that, not that he'd ever said it in her presence at least. She shook her head to rid herself of the chaos swirling through her mind. Too many questions and not enough answers. This time of the month always brought her strange thoughts and ideas. There was no way that Kaiba, of all people, could have feelings for her. Just no way at all, it was not like him. Where the _hell_ had **that **thought come from? Kaiba? Feelings? Forget psychopath – psycho was good enough!

A soft knock on the door pulled a gasp of surprise from her throat. No one was supposed to be home. Her father was at a conference in Tokyo until Saturday and her mother wasn't expected back until later tonight… unless…

"Anzu honey? Are you okay?" her mother's tentative voice called from the other side of the door. She must have come home early.

"I'm fine, Mom, just had a rough day," Anzu replied, trying to keep her voice steady and confident. Obviously, her mother heard through her voice since she opened the door and poked her head in.

"I didn't mean to startle you. I got a strange feeling that you needed me, so I caught an earlier flight home." Stepping in further and leaning against the doorframe, she regarded her daughter with startlingly similar blue eyes that exuded warmth and concern. Her short brown hair was stylishly coiffed and perfectly matched the fashionable business suit, in eggplant purple, that she was wearing. In fact, she was the opposite of her offspring. Anzu was more tomboyish than she liked, preferring to wear blue jeans and t-shirts instead of more 'becoming' clothes for a young woman of her age, and had all male friends. Not that she was dating any of them. Anzu was, literally, one of the 'boys' when it came to Yugi, Jou and Honda. Dismissing her thoughts on those matters, she re-focussed on the daughter sitting on her bed, her eyes red and puffy. "So, why did you have a rough day?"

Watching her mother with her eyes still tearing up, Anzu decided it was better to tell the truth than hide it behind a lie. Her mother had a way of finding out information that confused her to no end. "It's one of **_those_** days, Mom."

"C'mon, that can't be all of it. Your eyes wouldn't be that red. Something else must have happened to set you off." Stepping in further, she sat down next to Anzu and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders. Moral support was crucial right now and anything she could do to make her daughter feel better, "You know you can tell me anything. Is it 'boy' troubles? Is Jou giving you a hard time again?"

"No, it has nothing to do with Jou. It's not about Yugi or Honda either. It's… someone else." The words came slowly and haltingly. Anzu wasn't sure she was ready to go into the full detail about the whole incident until she looked into her mom's eyes. So much love and understanding was written there that she took her mom's invitation to spill to heart.

"… and when he commanded me to go out with him next Friday to this stupid corporate ball, I just lost it and yelled at him. I told Kaiba exactly what I thought of him. Mom, what am I going to do? I can't face him again tomorrow after what I said to him today! He's in my **first** class! I sit right **beside** him in English! I'm **_ruined_**!" The waterworks started all over again as Anzu's emotions took control once more. With a comforting pat on her shoulder, she reached over for a Kleenex from the nightstand and shook her head at her daughter's typical teenager, hormonal, over-dramatized tale. Everything became the end of the world if it didn't end happily. She was surprised that Anzu hadn't mentioned committing social suicide by saying what she'd said to Kaiba Seto. Oh, she knew who he was. His name was not uncommon in their household, although she doubted that her daughter would appreciate hearing that she talked about him in her sleep. That would be a secret she took with her to her grave. This would probably be very soon if the dramatics in Anzu's life kept going at full steam like this. Smiling softly, she hugged Anzu closer as the tears wet the front of her stylish white blouse. This reminded her so much of her own high school and college years. In fact…

"Sweetie, I'm going to tell you a story about your father and me before we were married. In retrospect, it's pretty close to your story. Once it's done, you'll know what you have to do to keep from being _ruined_."

* * *

And there is Anzu's side of the story. Hope that it was confusing enough for you. After all, she's not quite emotionally stable at the moment. Hormones – what a way to ruin your social life.

Sorry this has taken so long and that it's so short but it's crucial to see things from Anzu's POV and to have her mom come in and talk to her. Very crucial for the next chapter. Which I hope to have up in the next three weeks or so… ;)… as long as I remember to drink less…

Thanks for reading and/or reviewing,

Aphrael21;)


	4. Wisdom of the Ages

**Chapter 3 – Wisdom of the Ages**

So, we've seen the hallway incident from both points of view. What's going to happen now? And what story does Anzu's mom want to tell her? Will it shed light on anything? And what about Kaiba and the Pharaoh? What are they up to in that office?

Thanks to Iluvsbakura and Azurite for pointing out the flaw in my last chapter when I used Joey instead of Jounouchi. I will re-post that chapter when I get off my lazy butt and get around to changing it. All previous references to Jou will also be changed. Thanks, Azurite, for mentioning that they don't call him 'Jou'. I didn't know that.

Thanks for sticking with this crazy story. All thanks and hails go to flyinggoomba for starting this whole thing when we were on the phone one night.

PS – Yes, I realize that this is somewhat AU. I haven't seen the end of the current series playing on the WB – The Dawn of the Duel – but I'm going to assume that Yami managed to have a life both during and after that crazy debacle with Bakura. Thanks.

* * *

"So… what now?" Kaiba had grown increasingly uncomfortable during the momentary silence after they'd shaken hands. For a split second, he could have sworn that the world had rocked on its axis. What he had just done had been momentous. He'd made a deal with the proverbial devil, his rival in everything he held dear. And now that the deal had been sealed, he didn't know how to proceed. His realm of experience had shifted from confident to floundering. He'd lost complete control of the situation. His fate rested in the hands of another human being, something he'd vowed to never let happen again after his upbringing in a house where Gozaburro was his 'father'. It wasn't a feeling he liked. Not in the slightest. And the smirk on the other's face wasn't helping any at all.

"Now, Kaiba now is the time to plan your first step in having Anzu's company for this Grand Spring Ball you're so concerned about. But first, you must listen to a story from my past. It will shed light on what you must do to regain respect and trust in Anzu's eyes. She's probably not very happy with you right now, all things considered." Anzu probably wasn't very happy with herself either. She was a kind, friendly girl, prone to bouts of exuberance and enthusiasm that both Yami and Yugi admired. To have said what she'd said to Kaiba (to his **face**, Yugi added silently, chuckling snidely) most likely had her in tears at home. He'd have to remember to give her a call to see if she was all right. As long as he didn't let on that he knew about the hallway incident, their plan would continue unaffected. Just thinking of the outcome sent a delicious shiver of anticipation up his spine. Kaiba would be too busy with… no, now was not the time for gloating. He'd save that for later. Clearing his throat softly, Yami's smirk turned to a wistful smile as he leaned back in the black leather chair, letting the memory he was about to relate flow through him.

"I thought you didn't remember anything about your past." It wasn't a question. Everything the nerd herd had been through over the last couple of years was somehow supposed to help the 'Pharaoh' regain the memories he'd lost about who he was. How could he tell a story from a past he couldn't remember? Seto folded his hands comfortably in his lap. He may have accepted help from Yami but it didn't mean that he would not challenge his new 'tutor'.

Again, with a patient voice reserved for small boys, Yami answered him. "I do not remember much of my past, true. Only bits and pieces really. But they mostly concern the wives I had through my reign as Pharaoh of Egypt 5,000 years ago." Yugi looked on in interest. He'd never been privy to these memories yet, so it would be a treat for him as well. Taking a glance at the CEO sitting behind his big corporate desk in his big important office, Yugi surmised that Seto Kaiba was not impressed at having to endure story time.

"Why don't you just tell me what I should do instead of wasting my time with this frivolity? I have other matters that need my attention and having you planted in the middle of my office like a stumpy shrub is not helping me at all." The phone had lit up four times in the last five minutes even though the 'do not disturb' function was turned on. Clarisse was frantic about something if she continually tried to get through to him. Seto had no idea what it could be since there was nothing pressing on his schedule for this afternoon. Clarisse Montagne could wait. Getting Mazaki's consent to be his escort was his first and only priority at the moment. Anything and everything else could **wait**.

"Because, Kaiba, that would be the easy way out. My giving you the answer would not help you at all, nothing would be learned, and at the first signs of trouble with Anzu, you would crumble like a house of cards before a puff of wind. How do you think **I** learned about women?" That had gotten Kaiba's attention, if he was any judge of the fire that lit his rival's eyes. Yugi was impressed at the not-so-subtle insult he'd directed at the young teenager sitting across from them. That was classic Yami. It was too easy to guide Kaiba in the proper direction. Yami smiled at the silent thumbs-up sign from his other half.

"How **dare** you imply that I am incapable of being taught…"

"I'm not implying that at all. I just want you to use that wad of sawdust you call a brain for something other than computer code and Duel Monsters. I won't always be around to offer you advice, Kaiba. It's time to think for yourself." With a grunt, Kaiba settled back into his chair and crossed his arms defensively over his chest. No wonder Kaiba enjoyed needling Jounouchi so much. The human face was amazingly expressive, even one as impassive as Kaiba's. A small twitch of his eyebrow and a faint tightening of his jaw was enough to let both Yami and Yugi know that they were getting under his skin. Yugi was still impressed at the fact that Yami had gotten him to agree to this arrangement at all. There was something to be said for confidence.

"Very well then. Proceed." Each word was bitten off and the tone would have been enough to make even the most stalwart businessman flinch and stutter. Yami just smiled at him. Seto figured it would be a waste of his time to argue any further. The set of Yami's face told him as much. The same determination he regularly saw during any duel he was in currently lit his crimson-violet eyes. Maybe Seto would actually learn something from this story. His father, his **real** father, had always told him that learning was a life-long process and the more he knew, the better off he'd be, although this probably wasn't exactly what his father had had in mind when he'd said that. Making up his mind to pay acute attention, he waited for Yami to begin his lesson.

"All right, Kaiba. I shall begin." Yami took a deep breath and settled his hands into his lap. The memories he had of his wives were few but they glowed with an inner brightness that startled him every time he thought about them. Now it was time to share the wisdom he'd gained through the ages.

* * *

"Sweetie, I'm going to tell you a story about your father and me before we were married. In retrospect, it's pretty close to your story. Once it's done, you'll know what you have to do to keep from being _ruined_." She looked down at her daughter still hugging her close and sniffling once or twice as the tears finally dried on her face.

"Mom, I grew out of story time years ago." Realizing that she'd gotten her mother soaked, Anzu moved and sprawled back on the bed. She couldn't tell if her mother were being serious or not.

"Trust me, sweetie, this is a good story and the best thing about it is that it's true. It's not like the fairy tales I used to read to you at bedtime, although it does have a happy ending." Smiling down at Anzu, she shrugged her shoulders and sprawled herself back on the bed as well. Mother and daughter lay side by side on Anzu's bed and stared at the ceiling. The two of them shared a close bond even though their sense of fashion was at opposite ends of the spectrum. Normally, she wouldn't want to get her business clothes wrinkled since they were a pain to iron, but this time, she didn't want to leave the situation as it was just to go and change. Anzu needed her. She could always send her suit to the dry cleaners later.

She hid her shock quite well at the comfortable sprawl her mother exhibited. Wasn't she worried about getting her clothes wrinkled and dirty? Obviously not as she looked over and saw the smile on her face. Her eyes sparkled with a light Anzu hadn't seen in a long time. Maybe this story would be worth listening to. It wasn't often that she heard about the life her parents' had led before they'd gotten married. They had enough stories from after they'd been married to keep her entertained til the end of time. They had even more stories, usually quite embarrassing, from the time she was born to keep her friends entertained til eternity ended.

"Okay, Mom, as long as it's not the story about Dad trying to propose to you again."

"Definitely not that one. Once is enough for that story to embarrass your father until the end of his days. No, this story is different." Taking a deep breath, she wriggled around to find a more comfortable position to lie down in. It was going to be a long one today. "You see, Anzu, your father used to be a suave, debonair gentleman in university when I knew him." Anzu's snort of disbelieving laughter brought a smile to her face.

"Dad? Suave and debonair? You've got to be kidding me." Her father's image swam before her mind's eye. His salt-and-pepper hair that she used to tug on when she was smaller and it was blacker, his broad shoulders that used to carry her during Christmas parades, his thick fingers that used to tickle her mercilessly before he put her to bed though they couldn't hold a hammer to save his life, his brown eyes that shone so proudly whenever he was able to attend one of her dance recitals. Suave and debonair would be the last two words she ever attested to her dad. Those words were meant more for men like James Bond and, heaven help her, Seto Kaiba. Men who knew what they wanted and weren't afraid to go after it single-mindedly.

"Not kidding, I swear." With a chuckle, she plumped the pillow under her head and began…

_Flashback – some twenty years before – Domino University_

Miyu sighed in exasperation at the movement of the line up at the coffee stand. All she wanted was the biggest, most caffeinated beverage she could get her hands on and the privilege of drowning her morning memories in it. The professor's words still rang hotly through her mind.

'_How **dare** you hand in such drivel? You're lucky I haven't failed you on this assignment. A 'C' is more than that garbage you've written deserves. Comparing the character of Tom Jones to a female indeed. He is one of the most virile male characters in the history of English literature and you have the audacity to contradict that notion. You jumped up excuse for an English major, I should see you drummed out of the University for even suggesting such a thing…'_

The beratement of her ideas had continued for another couple of minutes as Miyu's face grew redder and redder and tears threatened to spill over her cheeks. She was only a first year student at the University and to have such a confrontation over a single paper was bewildering. Her teachers in high school had always told her how creative and original she was, how her stories for class took them away to another world, how her papers used to fire their own imaginations. Why had this professor taken such a disliking to her idea? It had to have some validation to it since she'd been able to do research and find others who agreed with her.

Moving a step closer in line to her personal nirvana, she sighed again. She'd been so proud of the work she'd done on that paper. Her logic had been flawless. Her argument had been perfect. And the researched materials had backed her up, giving her ample proof that others, including two other on-campus professors, had had the same idea. Groaning to herself, she just wanted to forget the entire morning had ever happened and chalk it up to a bad dream.

Maybe not the entire morning, she thought, as she looked on in the distance and saw a familiar figure walking towards her over the campus commons. Kouhei. It had to be him. No one else could look that dashing in a pair of olive green pants and white, button-down shirt. No one else really knew where to find her after Tuesday morning's English class either. Feeling her lips curve up into a delighted smile and her heart skip a beat or two, she watched as he redoubled his efforts to join her. His black hair caught the sunlight and glinted a gorgeous shade of midnight blue. She was so lucky to have found him. Most seniors at the university looked down on dating someone as lowly as a freshman.

Not Kouhei.

Kouhei was the kind of student that every professor dreamed of having in his class. Smart, intelligent, and always ready with an answer. He was in his final year of Business Studies and was considering places to put in his resumé. But with his grades, a 3.9 GPA, and a yearly place on the Dean's Honour Roll guaranteed that he'd find a position with a company that would put his business skills to good use. Kouhei liked to stay one step ahead of any competition, not that he had any at the University. The word around campus was that since he was top of his class, the big businesses of the country would beat a path to his door. No one understood why he wasted his time putting out resumés himself instead of waiting for the offers to come pouring in.

With every step that brought him closer to her, something nagged even more loudly in the back of her mind. Something wasn't quite right. His face was set with the most intense expression she'd ever seen outside of the classroom. Trepidation warred with joy as she saw the tense set of his shoulders and the humourless grimace on his face. What could possibly have him so worried? He was the most 'put-together' person she knew – he never stressed about anything. To see him so restless was strange and unusual. Disturbing, even.

"Kouhei! Hi! I wasn't expecting to see you this morning. What a nice surprise!" Settling her own anger at her professor, she kept her voice light and friendly as he stopped next to her, his breathing a little rushed and heavy from the quick pace he'd set to reach her. Slipping her arms around his waist, she pulled him close in an amorous hug.

Now, she **knew** something was bothering him. He didn't hug her back. Just stood there like a statue as she lavished her affection on him. They'd only been dating for a few months, ever since the Christmas formal, but that was no reason for him to hold back in **his** affections. Her friends were always nauseated around the two of them. They were inseparable. Always holding hands or arms around each other's waists', whispering, giggling and exchanging gentle kisses.

"Miyu. Your attendance is _requested_ this Friday night as my date for a formal business party. Proper attire is required. I'll pick you up at 5 o'clock sharp."

It wasn't exactly a request. The emphasis placed on that one single word spoke volumes. Separating from him, she locked her blue eyes on his brown ones. He was serious.

Not even a hello before he **_requested_** her presence at his side Friday night. Kouhei was the most polite man at the University. For him to speak to her as he had was proof of his stress.

Too bad he'd picked the wrong Tuesday morning to treat her like… like… a trophy to be worn at his own leisure.

"You arrogant son of a bitch!" The anger she'd tamped down only moments before flared through her body. Lava burned in her veins instead of blood. All she saw was red. "You can't even say hello to me first? Good Lord, Kouhei, who the hell do you think you're dealing with? How dare you speak to me like that!"

The people in line in front of her at the coffee stand had inconspicuously turned around to watch the scene she was causing. Kouhei's cheeks had turned an alarming shade of grey. He looked ready to explode himself and the only thing holding him back was his white-knuckled fists.

Murmurs rippled through the small crowd they had attracted. Kouhei was well-known throughout the University so seeing him being dressed down, quite loudly, by someone most considered his future wife, was cause for staring. Miyu didn't care at this point if the President of the University walked by buck naked, drinking a flagon of wine and singing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" in Spanish. She wouldn't have noticed. Her eyes were too busy staring holes in Kouhei's forehead. Every twitch and flutter registered in her mind as she tried to find another way to let him know her displeasure at being _requested_ so heartlessly. He deserved everything she gave him and more for expecting her to drop everything and attend to his needs. What about her feelings? Didn't they deserve to be respected as well?

Her hands came up of their own accord and pressed against his chest, effectively pushing him away from her. "How about asking how my day has been before launching into your little demanding speech? What if I have plans already? Did that even occur to you before you accosted me so rudely? Probably not. You're so caught up in working for the perfect company that I've been relegated to the back burner until you get what you want. Isn't that right, Kouhei?"

Watching his eyes hit the ground at her feet and his cheeks flare beet red in embarrassment, Miyu felt the smallest, tiniest amount of guilt for putting him on the spot like that in front of what seemed to be half the university population. The guilt melted under the indignation she felt for being _requested_ to do something.

"Until you can figure out a **nice** way to ask me to this business party on Friday night, the answer is a resounding 'NO!'" With a stomp of her foot and a twirl of her hair, she turned and left him standing there, humiliation written all over his face, to contemplate the predicament he'd gotten himself into by speaking before thinking.

Served him right, cocky bastard…

_End flashback…_

Chuckling to herself, Anzu heard her mother's own giggle in response. "Wow, when you said the situation was similar, I didn't realize that you'd meant it was almost identical." Peering at her mother lying so comfortably on her bed, she couldn't help but wonder if she were truly talking about the same man. Her father could never have been that cold and rude to someone he'd been dating. The man exuded warmth and cheerfulness and Anzu figured that he was the one she'd gotten it from. To think, he could do something as callous as Kaiba Seto had had her head reeling in shock. "So… what happened? It's obvious that you somehow got over that hurdle in your relationship. How did you two make up afterwards?"

* * *

"You must understand, Kaiba, that I don't know exactly when this story happened, how long I'd been Pharaoh or anything of that nature. That does not defeat the purpose of the story or make it less of a lesson for you to study. The timeline itself is irrelevant."

The distant look in his rival's eyes stayed Seto's mouth for a moment. He just wanted to get this over with. Getting back on Mazaki's good side couldn't be as difficult as he made it out to be. She was just a girl after all.

"Just get on with it," he growled, settling back in his chair, long fingered hands folded neatly in his lap.

With a deep, indrawn breath, Yami began, "I remember that there was a visiting royal dignitary in my kingdom. A messenger had arrived, stating that the king and his entourage would arrive in three days time, by the grace of Ra, to celebrate my ascension to the throne…"

_Flashback – some 5,000 years before…_

The sun blazed down hotly upon the ancient city, shimmers of heat rising from every surface as the Pharaoh surveyed the marketplace just outside the palace walls, looking for some sign of the messenger that had just left. There, in the distance, a plume of dust rose as the messenger sped back to relay the welcome message to his master, come visiting from a far off land. Yet another royal banquet was being planned in what seemed a never-ending stream of visits from outlanders.

How was he supposed to get to the business of ruling his kingdom when every third or fourth day was interrupted by a formal dinner followed by a nightlong celebration of his reign followed by a day of 'recovery'? Grimacing to himself, he was thankful for one thing – **he** didn't have to travel the dusty desert to drown himself in wine in a foreign country. At least all of the recent turmoil in his kingdom had died down after the disappearance of the supposed 'King of Thieves'. For six months now, there had been not a whisper about him or his whereabouts. Like dust before a wind, gone. The Pharaoh had no doubts that he still lurked somewhere among the sand dunes, plotting his revenge against the family that he thought had slain his entire village in order to create the Millennium Items, but with no news to go on, his hands were tied in that matter.

Enough of heavy thoughts. Fate would take him where it would and the matter of the royal banquet was more pressing. Ra help him if he failed to please this visiting monarch. With a whistling sigh and a shake of his crown-covered head, he turned back to his private rooms, feeling the hem of his white robe swish softly against his knees. Now was the time to consider his next major decision – choosing a wife to attend him during the feast in three days' time. As it stood, his choice was between three.

Halima, his first wife and the daughter of a high-ranking noble family within the city, had already told him that she hated attending royal functions such as this one where outlanders came to the city. She'd been by his side for the last six visits and had expressed her dislike of being fawned over by 'smelly, dirty bumpkins who wouldn't know true gentility if it came up to them and bit them on the ass'. All they did was 'gawk and stare as country peasants would at the gloriousness that is our home by the grace of Ra'. Smiling at hearing her words ring so in his head, he was thankful that the choice was already made for him then. He loved her dearly but sometimes she could be a handful because of her 'gentle' upbringing.

That narrowed his choice to two wives and this was going to give him a major headache. He'd only married his second and third wives a month before, Halima a bare month before either of them, within days of each other actually, and so he was still trying to get to know them on a more personal level. Required matrimonial acts aside, he had very little insight as to their actual personalities. He spoke often to them but of things that were inconsequential. Talking with them about the weather and the height of the Nile in relation to the harvest didn't tell him much about who they were. And with all of the feasting going on to celebrate his reign, he couldn't find enough time to spend alone with them to discuss deeper issues, to find out what kind of women he'd married. He knew he loved them, had loved all three from first sight, but he wanted to know who they were, what made them laugh or cry, what made them break out in song. This was also a very delicate time since the two women were also feeling each other out to see how they stood in the Pharaoh's eyes. Always so much competition rested among the wives of the household that he had to tread carefully lest he turn them into enemies.

Or worse, turn them against **him**. He had enough other worries that having to think of his wives possibly plotting behind his back caused the headache to grow. Settling onto his bed, soft woven linen sheets cushioning him, he tried to think of a polite way of choosing one over the other. Having both wives attend would be nothing short of a scandal. One did not show off his wives to people of a far off land. They had their own strange customs. In fact, most of them only married one woman but dallied with many others, if the stories he'd heard were true. Most of the other kings boasted about how many women they'd had and how many bastards they'd borne. The Pharaoh found talk like that disgusting and beneath him, though he hid his feelings quite well. If these kings wanted to 'love' them, why not marry them?

Mandisa, his second wife, had been an arranged marriage much as his marriage to Halima had been but with one major difference. He'd always known that he would marry Halima, had grown up with her in the palace under the rule of his father. He hadn't known about the second marriage until one of his advisors, Shadaa, had brought it to his attention. It seemed that a contract for the nuptials had been found among his late father's personal archives. The girl's family, well-to-do merchants by trade, had not even been aware that a contract had been made. Not that they resented the idea of their youngest daughter becoming the second wife of the Pharaoh. On the contrary, they applauded the decision and so they'd been married with no objections. The Pharaoh had to admit that the girl was sweet and joyful by nature, if the honeymoon night they'd shared together was any indication of personality. And with her long, dark hair and gentle humour, she would be a good choice for the next feast.

If it were only between Mandisa and Halima, the choice would be clear. As it was, there was his third wife to consider.

Raziya, his newest and youngest wife, had been a little different. There had been no arrangement for them to marry. She'd caught his eye one day as he travelled through the marketplace, greeting his people. Shadaa had noticed his interest and had arranged for her to come and work in the palace. Any time she was present, serving at table or cleaning, the Pharaoh had lost himself in contemplation of her eyes or hands, any part of her that he could catch a glimpse of. It had been easy for Shadaa to convince him to marry her, the enchanting creature that she was. He'd only spoken a dozen or so words to her before they'd married but something about her had told him that she would be perfect for him and he for her. So they'd been married and he had yet to regret his decision, especially after the wedding night they'd shared.

Until royal feasts came along, anyways.

How was he supposed to choose between two women that had so easily captured his heart? It was a tug of war since either one would be eager to go and spend time with him while learning about other countries that bordered their own. This decision was going to drive him to an early grave. If only Halima wasn't so dead set against going, he would have an easier time of this feasting. It was supposed to be a joyous occasion and yet, here he was, lying on his bed trying to decide something that could have far-reaching consequences for the rest of his life.

Sighing in resignation, he settled on the easiest way to decide. He would go in order. Since he'd married Mandisa before Raziya, he would take her with him. Raziya was not apt to object to his face since she was his third wife, but he would have to carefully monitor anything that she said to him after the feast for hints of resentment at being excluded. He wasn't expecting there to be any but he had to be prepared for anything.

It wasn't Raziya he should have been worried about.

* * *

Outside of the women's quarters, he idly leaned against the doorframe and watched his wives in the next room. Lounging on large, soft pillows, he heard whispers and giggles and wondered what, or whom, they were talking about. He'd never seen them so relaxed in each other's presence before. It seemed the three of them had made time to get to know each other, something he was regretting more and more each day.

No matter. His decision had been made and it was time to convey it to the wife he'd chosen.

"Gentle ladies, I ask permission to enter your quarters," he announced in a loud, clear voice, inclining his head in a respectful bow. Even though he was Pharaoh, it was customary to ask to enter the women's quarters. A man did not just go barging in to where his wives lived if he expected to bear heirs at any time in the near future. Women, he'd heard, could be quite cold and fickle if their sensibilities were insulted.

"Permission is given, Pharaoh and husband," Halima replied, her smile bright and welcoming, sitting up slightly and leaning on a hand to watch him enter their chambers. As first wife, she was the one in charge of the quarters and it was her decision to accept or refuse entrance to anyone. Including the Pharaoh. She hadn't refused him yet and he prayed that she never would.

Stepping closer to where they sat, he let himself smile. Ra had graced him with the three most beautiful women in the kingdom. It was a shame that he could not take all three to the feasting in three days time and let other men grow envious of his good fortune. Outsiders would never understand the custom of more than one wife however.

"There is a royal feast being planned for three days hence. Another outlander king is coming to pay his respects for my long and just reign in the kingdom. I'm sure you've heard this news already."

"Will these feasts ever stop?" Halima asked, her bright blue eyes looking directly into his.

"Shadaa has told me that they lasted well into the first year of my father's reign and that was some thirty years ago. There are more kingdoms that surround Egypt now than there were then. The feasting may last as long as two years although I sincerely hope not. I have not had enough time to spend with my lovely wives since our wedding days so this feasting pains me." A blush had risen on his cheeks and all three wives had smiled and giggled. They knew exactly what he meant.

"For this feast, though, I only require one wife to attend me. Halima knows well this routine. As first wife, though, she has decided to not partake of these banquets. That has left the choice to be between my newest wives." Mandisa leaned forward excitedly and Raziya's eyes lit up, green eyes luminous as she looked up at her husband.

"Mandisa, you will accompany me in three days time to this banquet as my wife and companion. Servants will see to your attire and instruct you in proper etiquette." There, he'd done it. He'd made his decision. Somehow, though, something didn't feel right.

With a look at Mandisa, he saw that her excitement had changed to a different emotion. If he'd known her better, he would have realized it was anger.

"Mandisa? Is something the matter with you attending that night?" He was truly bewildered as to her change of face. He thought she would be happy to go with him. She'd been disappointed the last couple of times when he'd taken Halima instead.

Sitting up tall on her blue pillow, she regarded him with cold eyes. The tension in the room had just increased a million fold and the temperature had dropped just as much. Even Halima was glaring at him. What had he done wrong?

"No, my **_Lord_**. Nothing is the matter with me attending that night at your express **_command_**. Would you **_command_** me to feel otherwise?" Her voice could burn sand to glass and the Pharaoh was at a loss to find a reason why. He'd simply stated his decision to have her attend with him. What was so wrong about that?

"Very well, then, Mandisa. I wish you ladies a good afternoon." He got up quickly and left, before their eyes had shot arrows at him. All three wives were upset and he didn't know the reason.

* * *

"Do you know what happened after that, Kaiba?" The Pharaoh sat back again in his leather chair and shifted his eyes to meet the elder Kaiba's once more. Had he picked up that their situations were somewhat similar? That the same thing Kaiba had done to Anzu, he'd done to his own wife?

"No, I don't. Please enlighten me."

* * *

Yes, a bit of a cliffhanger. But I had to leave it there. I'm flying out in twenty minutes for three weeks time and didn't want to leave you all without another piece of the story.

I hope you all enjoyed it…

Aphrael21;)


	5. Technically, that's three words

**Chapter 4 – Technically, that's three words**

Sorry for the long wait on the update. More info at the bottom of this chapter. I apologize for the shortness.

* * *

"Do you know what happened after that, Kaiba?" The Pharaoh sat back again in his leather chair and shifted his eyes to meet the elder Kaiba's once more. Had he picked up that their situations were somewhat similar? That the same thing Kaiba had done to Anzu, he'd done to his own wife? 

"No, I don't. Please enlighten me."

Kaiba's disinterested monotone should have been enough to grate on Yami's last nerve. The CEO was stubborn enough to test even the legendary patience of the Pharaoh. Putting aside a mildly scathing retort, Yami concentrated on Kaiba's eyes and saw the hidden gleam of yearning buried deep in the icy blueness. Yami knew that yearning well – it was the same emotion he'd felt when Shadaa had explained the situation to him so many centuries ago. Kaiba, however, needed to be prodded gently in the proper course of action (like a bull in a china shop), not hit over the head with a mallet as Shadaa had done to him (proverbially speaking of course).

'_Kaiba had better be careful or you two will end up being best friends by the end of this story.' Yugi smiled at the eyes given to him by the ancient Pharaoh. _

'_Why do you think we're going through with this, Yugi? Was that not the plan all along?'_

'_That, my dear Pharaoh, was only **part **of the plan if you recall.'_

'_Hmmm, that is true.'_

"Kaiba, your arrogance is boring me. Would you care to hear the end of my tale or not?" He should have been begging the Pharaoh for his much needed insight into relating to females. Given Kaiba's non-existent interactions with girls his own age, he needed to understand how to undo what he'd done to Anzu as well as **why** he had to do it. The situations were indeed so similar that he had to fight the urge to laugh at the whole bizarre episode. Everything that Kaiba was experiencing, Yami had been through before – including the sting of angering a woman.

"Finish your tale or not, choose whichever option will get you the hell out of my office the fastest." Couldn't the runt talk any faster? Seto was by no means a stupid boy. The two situations, his own and the one just painted by Yami about his wife, were too similar for him to fail to recognize it. Big deal – so both of them had ordered someone close to them to attend a prestigious party in their august company. Was that somehow supposed to make him feel better? That he and Yami had something more in common besides Duel Monsters? "Just tell me this, oh mighty Pharaoh, how did you rectify your 'mistake' with Mandisa? You stopped right when it was actually getting interesting." Blatant sarcasm was Seto's weapon of choice and goading this one took more effort than annoying the mutt but it was worth it. Moreover, it covered the fact that he really did want to know how the story ended. The Pharaoh and his wife arguing intrigued him as no other fairy tale had yet. Maybe Yami wasn't so perfect after all. Maybe Seto didn't have to be so perfect either.

"Then let me ask you this, Kaiba. What are the two hardest words for anyone, man or woman, to say to another?" If he could just get the boy to think for a moment, then his problem with Anzu would be easily solved. Kaiba expected the world to bow down at his feet and accept his rule without question as if he were a modern-day king. Anzu was the only girl that refused to be cowed by his mere presence and that had thrown Kaiba off his game. It had upset the delicate balance needed for him to function in his high-stress world.

"'You win'?" Seto's smirk must have been infectious as he saw the corners of Yami's mouth quirk up. At least he had a sense of humour for an old stiff.

"Very amusing, Kaiba. You should remember those words as well if you plan to speak to Anzu in the near future. But sadly, those are not the words I was asking you for." The CEO's comment may have sounded caustic and flippant but the feeling underlying it never registered in Kaiba's voice. The tone was almost… lukewarm and for Kaiba that was friendly. "Let me finish my story and you shall have the answer to my question."

* * *

_Flashback – Pharaoh's private quarters a few hours later…_

"I don't understand, Shadaa, what did I do wrong? I simply stated my decision to have Mandisa by my side at the banquet and now **all **of my wives are upset and refuse to speak to me." He looked up at his advisor from the chair he occupied by the open window. Shadaa's hazel eyes were closed in deep thought, a finger tapping against his pursed upper lip. He'd been that way for the last ten minutes as the Pharaoh had related his sorry tale.

The incident had taken place only a little while earlier and yet the entire palace was abuzz with the news. Halima, the Pharaoh's first wife, had sent word by royal messenger that her husband was not welcome within the confines of the women's quarters until he learned how to 'treat his new wives with respect'. Those had been her exact words and the lowliest servants repeated them in excited whispers. Finally, some frivolity in the palace after everything that had happened with the Thief King months earlier.

"My Pharaoh, may I speak freely?" Shadaa focussed his gaze on the seated ruler. He needed to know how he could speak before he could address the situation at hand.

"Of course, Shadaa. We are in my private chambers. You may speak as freely as you wish here." The noticeable loss of tension in his advisor's shoulders told him he'd done the right thing. Maybe now he would be able to get a solution to his little 'problem'.

"Pharaoh, you've grown up in the palace, surrounded by everything you could ever want or need and yet you lack in the most basic skill of all – communication." Shadaa raised his hand to stop the protest he knew was coming. "Don't mistake me, you have been well taught in the art of negotiating with ambassadors and rulers from other countries but when it comes to speaking with women, your education has been … somewhat lacking. I realize that you've grown up knowing that you would marry Halima, and you've treated her more like a best friend than a wife..."

Silence hung for a moment as Shadaa stopped speaking, allowing the Pharaoh to digest what he'd heard. Maybe he would realize his own mistake without too much prodding and Shadaa wouldn't have to worry about any… repercussions should the Pharaoh decide he was being too forward. Then again, judging by the look of confusion that was prevalent on the face of his ruler, he didn't have much to worry about. The young Pharaoh had much to learn…

…about women…

…about life…

…about **everything**.

"What are you trying to say, Shadaa? Out with it already. Do you think I cannot handle the truth?"

There it was again – the tone of command instead of request – and used at a most inopportune time, much as it had been with Mandisa earlier in the day. But he made a good point. It was easier to come out with it than to try and find a nice way to tell the Pharaoh that he was a completely clueless idiot when it came to the opposite sex.

"My Pharaoh, when you wish Halima to participate in an event with you, how do you express that wish to her?"

That one question changed everything.

"Why, I ask her of course." Shadaa's unwavering gaze finally pierced through the Pharaoh's fog of confusion. With wide, violet eyes seeing nothing but his own transgression, he softly whispered, "Oh, my."

"Yes, Pharaoh. You finally understand. Women in general, and your wives in particular, are not like your troops. You cannot command them to do anything and expect to be obeyed without question. If you try, they will resist you every step of the way and make your life a miserable, living hell. Take the situation you have created with Mandisa. The entire palace knows by now of your 'disrespect' to her, how you informed her of your decision to have her attend the banquet at your side."

"Great, now everyone will have no respect for their ruler. If a man cannot rule over his own wives, what good is he when it comes to an entire country?"

"It is not quite so bad as that, my Pharaoh. And a man does not rule over his wives – he cooperates with them. You would do well to learn that lesson early on." With a gentle smile, Shadaa placed a hand on the young ruler's shoulder. He was taking everything too seriously when he should have seen it for what it was – a learning experience. "What you must remember is that you are young. On my way to your chambers a short while ago, I overheard soldiers, veterans of marriage for at least a decade, chortling and guffawing at your distress. They themselves knew better than to do what you did, although they probably made similar mistakes with their own wives."

"If you are trying to ease my discomfort, you are not doing a very good job, Shadaa." A ghost of a chuckle passed between the two men and the Pharaoh saw what Shadaa was doing. He **was** taking himself too seriously. The fate of his country did not rest on his ability to communicate with his wives, although he was going to have to re-learn that particular art. Maybe his High Priest, Seth, would help him later. He was a renowned legend among the advisors for having a penchant for the women of the court.

"I am only trying to help, Pharaoh."

"I know. I am only teasing. You have been invaluable in pointing out my obvious mistake. But, Shadaa, now that I know this, how do I make amends with my second wife? With **all** of my wives for that matter?" He'd offended all three in a matter of breaths by his thoughtless command to Mandisa. Reparation was needed with all of his wives or his life would become the miserable, living hell Shadaa had alluded to.

"That, my dear Pharaoh, is not as difficult as you'd imagine. All that is needed is a sincere, **very **heartfelt apology. You'd be surprised at how well that works."

"That's all, Shadaa? A simple 'I'm sorry' and everything is forgiven?" Incredulity laced his words and Shadaa grinned cheekily. Teaching the Pharaoh about women was proving to be more fun than he'd thought.

"Well, yes but flowers never hurt either…"

* * *

"… and I did exactly as Shadaa had suggested so nicely. I picked flowers from my private garden, went to the women's quarters and said 'I'm sorry' first to Mandisa for my thoughtlessness and then to all of my wives for disrespecting them." Yugi clapped silently at the end of Yami's story. It was perfect. Maybe Kaiba would realize now what he had to do – assuming he'd been paying attention of course instead of manipulating Duel data in his head. "Now, Kaiba. I will ask you again – what are the two hardest words to say to another person? I've given you the answer – assuming you've been listening of course." Yugi chuckled – Yami never missed a beat. 

"To be honest, your story was rather boring. And your story didn't give me the answer to your silly little question." The sarcastic smirk was enough to drive Yami to the edge of anger without quite crossing the line.

"What?" Was Kaiba that thick?

"Your story, the two hardest words. I **still **don't know what they are." Toying with the King of Games was going to become a new obsession with him if he didn't watch out.

"I told you, Kaiba, I said 'I'm sorry' to my wives." Exasperation was the only way to describe his voice, an emotion he rarely felt in the presence of anyone else.

"Technically, that's three words."

Kaiba had gotten that one over on him and Yami couldn't help the guffaw of laughter that passed through his lips. What surprised him even more was the answering laughter he heard from Kaiba.

* * *

Yeah, all right. I realize it's a very short chapter but it's taken me forever to type it out. First I went home for three weeks and that is not conducive to writing stories since I spent the entire time too stuffed with food to even think about writing. Then I came back and got the flu. Wonderful. Have you ever tried to write when your head feels like it's full of cotton? 

Anyways, thanks for sticking with this story. I promise to have Anzu's side up in a little while. After that is when it starts to get interesting.

Aphrael21;)


	6. You did What?

**Chapter 4 and a half – You did what?**

Yes, folks, here it is, finally. The second half of the story. Now we'll find out the end of Anzu's side. Just a word of warning, I'm using italics to inject outside commentary into the story I'm weaving here. Namely, you'll notice Anzu and her Mom having a discussion as the story Miyu is telling is taking place. I hope that made some sense. Hopefully, all becomes clear quite quickly:)

* * *

_Chuckling to herself, Anzu heard her mother's own giggle in response. "Wow, when you said the situation was similar, I didn't realize that you'd meant it was almost identical." Peering at her mother lying so comfortably on her bed, she couldn't help but wonder if she were truly talking about the same man. Her father could never have been that cold and rude to someone he'd been dating. The man exuded warmth and cheerfulness and Anzu figured that he was the one she'd gotten it from. To think, he could do something as callous as Kaiba Seto had had her head reeling in shock. "So… what happened? It's obvious that you somehow got over that hurdle in your relationship. How did you two make up afterwards?"_

"Well…" The hesitation was evident but Anzu had no idea what brought it on. And was that a blush racing across her cheeks?

"C'mon, Mom, spill. It wasn't all Dads' fault that you were upset. You were already mad because of what that professor said to you. And you were on a serious caffeine deprivation kick, too." Anzu's shimmering blue eyes focussed on her mother as they both sat up in bed. With a quick tug to her aubergine jacket and an even quicker hand to her hair, she leaned back against the wall and sighed lightly.

"You've nailed it right on the head, daughter of mine. It really **wasn't** his entire fault that I screeched at him like a fishwife on market day. Both of us instead shared equally in the blame, and the guilt, that came over us later."

"So… how did you deal with it?" Anzu was getting quite impatient. This was one of the best stories her mother had told her about her father in years. Finally, she had something with the potential to be as rewarding and heart-warming as the proposal story had been embarrassing and humiliating – for her father at any rate. Anzu had chuckled for days afterwards when she first heard that story.

"Well, sweetie, it went something like this… I'd gone home straight after the fiasco at the coffee stand…" Closing her eyes, Miyu regaled her daughter with her efforts to make amends for the wrong she had done to Kouhei.

* * *

_Flashback – twenty minutes later…_

The door flew open with a resounding crash as Miyu stormed into her student apartment, her anger still high, and threw all of her belongings against the couch. The poor piece of student-bought furniture shuddered desperately under the weight of the assault combined with the weight of her books and looked ready to collapse as she shut the door behind her and stomped off to her bedroom, not even bothering to spare a glance as a blue puddle began to form on one of the cushions. That could only be her favourite fountain pen. Oh well, she had more… pressing matters on her mind.

Mazaki Kouhei Cocky bastard Egotistical idiot Maniacal manipulator.

"_Does that sound like someone you know, Anzu?"_

"_Possibly…"_

"_Not possibly. Highly likely is the correct answer."_

"_Oh, Mom, just get on with the story."_

Opening the door to her tiny little balcony, she stepped outside to try and calm her racing nerves. She thought she'd known him well and he'd gone and proved her wrong. With her hands white-knuckled around the black metal railing, she stared out over the campus grounds from her third storey view. Where was he right now? What was he doing? And more importantly, was he as upset as she was?

The ten minute jog to her apartment had given her time to think about the whole fiasco she'd created with Kouhei. Her day had already gotten a rotten start with her professor slashing her essay to smithereens and Kouhei's abrupt departure from his regular self had just added more fuel to her fire. She'd been powerless to say anything back to her professor lest it degrade her mark any further but Kouhei had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. That was the truth, the utter, absolute truth. He wasn't an egotistical idiot or a maniacal manipulator. Her forehead hit her hands as she moaned in guilt.

Poor Kouhei. He'd just stood there, probably stressed out to the max from his own issues and humiliated beyond belief by her emotional tirade. She had to find a way to make it up to him, to apologize for her thoughtlessness.

But how, that was the question. This had been their first official fight as a couple, even though it had been a pretty one-sided argument. Her attempt to apologize had to be sincere enough for him to forgive her and possibly coax his own apology for his presumptions upon her time.

Why had he been so insistent in his request for her presence Friday night? Nothing, absolutely nothing, fazed him. Mid-terms, finals, papers, projects – like water off a duck's back. Kouhei breezed through everything that had to do with school.

Then what else could it be? Friends? She knew all of his 'cohorts' and nothing major was happening with any of them, unless she dared to include the tiff Kaz, his best friend, had had with his on-again-off-again girlfriend.

School and friends were off the list, which only left one major possibility – family. Kouhei didn't talk much about his family but she'd heard enough bits and pieces to figure out that they were very determined to have him take over the family business – importing/exporting foreign goods – no matter what Kouhei himself wanted. That **had** to be it. Maybe he was going to tell them Friday night that he didn't want the family business and to pass it on to his younger brother instead. Jiro had always wanted the business and was envious of Kouhei being first born.

"_Really, Mom? But Dad and Uncle Jiro work together now."_

"_I know, dear. Remember, this happened twenty years ago."_

A groan and a shake of her head made her realize how unbelievably stupid she'd been to blow a gasket on him. As if dealing with his family problems weren't enough… Determination to set things right between them lit a fire under her step as she left the comfort of her balcony to head for the telephone. For starters, she was going to apologize to him over the phone before inviting him over for a home-cooked dinner made of his favourite dishes.

Miyu had cooked for him for the first time a couple of months ago and quickly learned of his gratitude for a hot, homemade meal, especially Western food. Over time, she'd recognized which ones he'd liked more than others and used her cooking to her advantage more than once…

"_Is that why we ate a lot of Western food before that trip we took to Hawaii a few years ago?"_

"_What do you think, Anzu?" The smirk of triumph was unmistakable in her mother's voice._

"_Hehe. Good one, Mom."_

…Just remembering the look of sheer bliss in his dark blue eyes as he stuffed an overloaded forkful of lasagna into his mouth made her own mouth quirk up into a big smile.

There was no way he'd stay mad at her, no way **could** he stay mad at her, if she let slip that there was lasagna in the oven.

Picking up the receiver, her smile turned upside down. There was no dial tone. Tapping a button on the number pad, she heard a distinctive beep but with no dial tone, she couldn't call Kouhei, apologize to him… her plans were ruined by a stupid piece of technology that had decided to break down on today of **all **days…

"Miyu? Are you there?" Kouhei's hesitant, whispery voice froze her mind mid-rant.

"Kouhei? Is that you?" The question was totally redundant but she couldn't stop herself. They both must've thought of the same thing at the same time.

"Miyu…"

"Kouhei…"

"I'm sorry."

They really had been in sync on that one.

"Miyu, I'm really sorry about earlier…"

She heard the small hitch in his voice and couldn't help but feel that twinge of guilt again for putting him on the spot.

"It's just that Friday is a really important dinner for me… I'm going to accept a position at a different company from my family's… the stress of the whole thing…" She'd heard enough.

"I'm sorry, too, Kouhei. Sorry that I was such a bitch to you at the coffee stall and for causing such a scene. My prof had just ranted on me really badly and you just happened to be a convenient target. I'm so sorry, in fact, that I'm about to make a lasagna. Why don't you come over and we can apologize face to face and maybe… mouth to mouth?" Her voice had dropped to a more seductive tone and she heard him gulp on the other end of the line.

"Be there in 10 minutes. And Miyu… I love you."

It wasn't until she heard the phone beeping incessantly in her ear that she remembered to replace the phone in its cradle.

He'd said it.

He'd said he loved her…

…for the first time ever.

And she knew just how to show him he loved her, too…

* * *

"Gross, Mom. You could've just left that last bit out, you know. TMI." Just the thought of her parents… doing stuff… disgusted her like nothing else could, unless it was a rousing game of "Choose" with Jounouchi and Honda. 

"Hey, I was young once, too, you realize!" Maybe that last bit had been too much but it was **her** story. "Now that you've heard the whole thing, do you know what you have to do to Kaiba Seto tomorrow?"

"Cook him lasagna?"

"Haha, very funny, Anzu. I'm being serious here. If you want to be able to face him with your head held high, what are you going to do?"

"Pray that Kaiba picks up the phone at the same time I do?"

"Anzu…" The warning in her mother's voice was playful but firm.

With a dejected sigh, she replied, "I know, Mom. I was just teasing. Tomorrow morning, I have to apologize to Kaiba for taking my frustrations out on him."

"Hmmm, so you were paying attention." With a little hop, she got up from her daughter's bed. "Thought I'd heard you snore about halfway through."

"No way, Mom. Now I know exactly how to wrap Dad around my finger."

A pat on the shoulder made Anzu look up at her mother's soft blue eyes. "Honey, you've had him wrapped from the moment you were born."

They both laughed for a moment. It was the absolute truth. Her father found it hard to refuse her anything within reason. Her mother seemed to hold the same power over him.

"Now, what are we going to do about dinner? You weren't expecting me home so soon and I know there's nothing but ramen cups in the cupboard…"

"Pizza?" Anzu suggested, hope blooming in her eyes. Even with all of the pizza she scarfed with Jounouchi, Yugi and Honda, she never got tired of it.

"Delivery? Or should we go and dine in style at the closest Pizza Hut?"

"Let's go out. You know Dad would never go all out for just pizza."

"It's decided then. Meet me downstairs in 10 minutes." She turned to leave and stopped when Anzu cleared her throat.

"And, Mom? Thanks for the story… and the advice."

"What else is a mother for?"

* * *

And there it is. The advice is given – and surprise surprise, it's the same. Apologies all around. Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. Leave me a review and let me know! 

Thanks

Aphrael21;)


	7. Distractions

**Chapter 5 – Distractions**

Yes, another chapter in the growing saga of my crazy little tale. Thanks for sticking with it and thanks for leaving awesome reviews.

Props go out to Empressofthedragons for adding a new little twist to this story… I never would have thought of it without her.

* * *

The spray of hot water soothed her aching muscles as Anzu stepped into the shower. Her sleep the night before had been restless, as if she were running away from something, or someone. Or perhaps, she'd been running towards him…it… whatever. Either way, her sheet and comforter were a tangled mess lying at the foot of her bed, waiting to be put back to rights once her shower was finished. Assuming she had time to do it, of course.

Her mother had given her a lot to think about last night when she'd related the story of her and her father's first 'official' fight when they'd been dating in University. Thankfully, the make-up details beyond the obvious had been avoided. No need to know **that** much about her parents, Anzu thought, stepping out of the shower and reaching for the green and white striped towel that hung near by.

She liked having her mornings alone. While her mother had been gone since the crack of dawn, first for her jog then coffee with friends, it left Anzu with time to think on things she normally didn't have time for throughout the day. Today's thoughts, however, were not as simple as the usual daydreams about new shoes (the new Adidas runners she wanted to buy were just too awesome to contemplate) or what outfit to wear to her next dance recital (which wasn't for another six weeks or so). They were occupied by a certain, blue-eyed CEO she'd been so casually assaulted by yesterday at school.

Her feelings about the whole situation had mellowed over night as her mother's advice permeated through her subconscious. The previous day's outburst hadn't been entirely his fault and now that her mood swings were back to some normalcy, she had to decide on a course of action. The hair dryer hummed loudly in her ears as she held it over her head, one hand poised with the brush in ready position. The ritual of drying her hair somehow soothed some of her frazzled nerves.

She shouldn't have been so confused. Her idea for what had to be done was clear. The unsureness came from deciding on **how** to accomplish her monumental task. It wasn't everyday that she had to swallow her pride and apologize to Kaiba Seto. In fact, if she wasn't mistaken, this was the first time she'd ever apologized to anyone outside of her immediate family.

Sure, when she'd bumped someone or accidentally spilled hot coffee in their lap _cough Jounouchi cough_, she apologized. But those were automatic responses drilled into her by her loving parents as part of their duties to teach her manners. What she was planning was a deliberate recitation of words that would debase her (possibly) in front of Kaiba, the world's biggest jerk. The fact that he would be all hot and smug-faced when she said it didn't help cheer her up.

Wait…

NO…

What was she…

Had she just…

Yup.

She'd thought that Kaiba was hot. Not just attractive in that rugged sort of way, especially when he hadn't shaved for a couple of days, but hot. A word she'd never associated with him before. Hot, and not as in temperature, although she could successfully argue that he made her blood boil.

In more ways than one it seemed.

A particularly vicious tug of brush through hair was painful enough to stop her dangerous turn of thought and the curious flip her stomach had done at the remote possibility of seeing Kaiba as something more than just a bastard.

The ring of the doorbell a moment later saved her mind yet again. Distraction was the best medicine for such deviant ideas.

'Must be Yugi,' Anzu thought as she grabbed her navy blue jacket and school bag. Heading down the stairs in a flurry of hair, arms, legs and flippy uniform skirt, she opened the door breathlessly and smiled at the sight of her spiky-haired best friend.

There seemed to be an extra spark to Yugi's violet eyes this morning and the only thing she could attribute it to was the impending weekend of freedom when he would be free to Duel Jounouchi to his heart's content.

"Morning, Anzu. Ready for school?" Yugi surreptitiously checked out Anzu as she shrugged into her uniform jacket. She was looking good this morning, more… put-together than usual. And her hair looked amazing. A silent thumbs-up from Yami received an answering wink from Yugi.

'Chipper' was the word she was looking for. Everyone always thought she was the happiest one in the group. Not true. Yugi was her rival for that title, not that she minded sharing it with him.

Unlike another guy she knew that kept trying to take Yugi's title as the "King of Games" away from him, using fair means or foul…

"Anzu, you okay?" Yugi waved a hand in front of her distant looking blue eyes, noticing the slightest sheen of a blush decorating her cheeks.

"Set…Sorry, Yugi. Guess I'm not quite awake yet." Anzu swore silently under her breath. What had she just said? Had Yugi heard her slip of the tongue? She had to stop thinking about **him**. Kaiba Seto was going to drive her beyond distraction and into the lands of insanity. The sooner she got the apology over with, the faster she could get him out of her head.

Unless he asked her out again in which case, she would be forced to think about him even more…

The blush had gotten darker in the last thirty seconds. This was going to be easier than either he or Yami had planned on.

"Anzu, is everything okay? You seem kind of… spacey… this morning." Maybe he could get her side of the story, find out how she was feeling about yesterday's incident. It would make planning Kaiba's next move so much easier if he could play both sides against the middle and make everyone happy.

"Everything's fine." The earnest look in his eyes broke through her defences. "Sort of."

"What's going on? You can tell me, Anzu. Is Jounouchi picking on you again?"

"Why does everyone always think that Jounouchi is picking on me? First my mother, now you. Haven't you realized I could kick his butt without breaking a sweat?" With an exasperated groan, she slammed the door shut behind her and stomped down the front steps of her home, leaving Yugi to grin wildly behind her back before catching up. She'd left herself wide open to his next remark.

"If it's not Jounouchi, which means it can't be Honda since he's terrified of you getting mad at him, and it's not me then it must be someone else. Maybe a certain CEO we seem to run into on a more than casual basis?"

Bingo.

That brought Anzu up short. The heat flooding her face rivalled the warmth of the spring sunshine. Did Yugi know something he wasn't telling her? Or had he pieced together her little slip of the tongue from earlier? His voice had sounded almost as smug as when Yami was about to pull his butt out of a fire during a duel. She had to play it cool and calm.

Yugi, and Yami, got the abbreviated version of what had transpired the afternoon before. Bare bone facts – no real details and definitely no mention of how Anzu thought he'd looked in his school uniform. Yugi did **not** need to know that, although it would have been stupid of her to not tell him the story at all. He knew something was up and it was just easier to not keep secrets from him. If she even tried, it would be something that just came back to haunt her at a later, and probably inappropriate, time.

Yugi listened attentively as Anzu spilled her side of the story. No details, no feelings, no emotions – she just gave it to him straight up – but Yugi could read between the lines since he'd been there himself to witness the beginning of Kaiba's fall from the iceberg.

Now, as long as Mokuba did his part, everything would begin to fall into place very shortly.

* * *

_Meanwhile, in Kaiba's office…_

Seto remembered the look of smug satisfaction that had lightened Yami's features just before he'd left. He also remembered feeling strangely giddy after sharing that laugh with the ancient Pharaoh. He'd felt almost… comfortable. Not on guard as he usually was. It was hard to keep thinking like a businessman when there was so much riding on the next words he said to Mazaki.

A simple 'I'm sorry' and everything would, supposedly, be fine with her. That's what the Spirit had been trying to get across. Simple didn't even begin to describe it. Those were words he'd never had to say to anyone besides Mokuba. Not even when he'd bumped into someone, either accidentally or deliberately (Jounouchi was always a perfect target) had those words passed his lips. Nothing was ever simple when it came to dealing with members of the opposite sex, either. Yami had proven that with his crazy tale of a life he'd lived 5,000 years before. Whether Seto believed it, he still hadn't decided but trying Yami's advice was better than showing up at von Schroeder's without Anz… Mazaki on his arm.

Even the idea of bearing flowers as a peace offering was the perfect embellishment of his sincerity. The private gardens behind his house were in full bloom thanks to the small army of gardeners he employed. It hadn't been much of a chore to walk through his gardens after dinner last night and choose the flowers he wanted. It had actually been … refreshing to spend some time outside, something he rarely did due to his hectic work schedule. Maybe he should have invited Mokuba to join him. He'd banished the thought from his mind almost immediately. There would have been too many questions to answer and Mokuba was suspicious enough as it was. In the end, Seto had chosen a single perfect bloom and carefully snipped the stem so as to preserve its' beauty through the delivery today at school.

His mind was made up on what he had to do – the only question left was when he would do it. Before class was out of the question since she was always surrounded by her idiotic friends. Having the goon squad look on as he practically threw himself at her mercy would leave a distinctively bad taste in his mouth and leave him open to teasing til eternity ended. Not exactly how he'd pictured spending the rest of his life. But instinct told him the sooner the better. The sooner he had Mazaki's agreement to join him next Friday, the easier it would be on him. He'd already spent too much time deliberating on what should have been an insignificant event. An entire afternoon wasted thinking about her words had left him feeling tired. An entire night wasted as he tossed and turned Yami's words through his mind.

Shutting down his laptop (there was nothing to save since he'd accomplished nothing this morning at all. Yet more wasted time.), he stood and strode across his office to the door, picking up his trench coat on the way.

"Clarisse, I'm done for the morning. Any other calls should be forwarded straight to voice mail."

"Very well, Mr. Kaiba. Is there anything else you need ready for this afternoon?" Her timid voice softened the hard edge to his mouth. She wasn't **that** bad as his secretary. Better than the one he'd fired Tuesday – she'd been selling highly confidential information to his competitors and making a very tidy profit at his expense.

"No, Clarisse. I don't need anything else ready for today. In fact, take the afternoon off. I have a feeling I won't be back in the office until Monday." The magnanimous gesture surprised both of them, if one could judge the almost identical expressions of shock. Kaiba Seto was not known to be a lenient CEO. He expected 110 from his employees and usually got it.

Clarisse's tremulous smile made his stomach do a funny flip. She'd been jumpy since yesterday, ever since Yami had barged into his office, and probably thought she was about to be fired. To give her an afternoon off was an unexpected, but welcome, treat.

"Thank you, sir." The timidity was gone and her smile, her **real** smile, shone through. The sudden change in her appearance, from mouse-like to pretty, startled him. He'd have to remember to reward his personal employees more often. Maybe this would work with his house staff as well. The gardeners especially. Tucking that little bit of information away in his mind, he whistled a tune softly under his breath as the elevator doors closed seamlessly before him.

* * *

"Yugi, what am I going to do? I have to apologize to Kaiba for how I acted yesterday. Do you know what he's going to do to me? I'm never going to hear the end of this." Her voice had risen an octave or two as Yugi listened to her wail. Calming her down was going to take a bit of effort on his part and he had to choose his words carefully.

"Anzu, do you know that for sure? I mean, this is Kaiba we're talking about but he's not **that** bad. Besides, aren't you the one that's always nice to him? You're not like Jounouchi; you don't tease him mercilessly about anything and everything you can think of. Kaiba may surprise you yet." That should give her something to think about. If Yugi had learned anything from Kaiba yesterday, it was that he learned from his own mistakes.

"Speaking of Jounouchi, and Honda for that matter, I can't do this in front of them. They'll think I've gone nuts and if they ever find out that Kaiba asked me out, in a manner of speaking, they'll **kill** him. And what if Kaiba asks me out again? What do I do then? Oh God, I should just go home, crawl into bed and not get out until I'm thirty." Anzu peered over at Yugi and saw the slight change come over him that announced Yami's presence.

"Anzu, you have to do this but I agree that it should not be done in the presence of Jounouchi and Honda. You should find a time when Kaiba is alone and give him your apologies then. And as to the question of him asking you out again, wouldn't that be doing a favour for a friend? He needs help. How hard do you think it was for him to ask you the first time, to admit that there was something he couldn't do on his own? You should hear him out first and then do what your heart tells you is right." Yami cupped her chin in his hand and brought her eyes up to meet his. "Life is meant to be lived, not hidden away in a bedroom until it has passed you by. As I said before, Kaiba may surprise you yet."

The Spirit was right. She had to see this through to the end, no matter the consequences to herself. Even if Kaiba did tease her til eternity ended, at least she would know that she had done the right thing.

* * *

Seto slid into the limo with an audible sigh of relief. He'd closed his eyes for a moment of respite from the tumultuous thoughts in his head and so missed the million watt grin across the seat from him. Settling deeply into the soft black leather, his eyes cracked open enough to see a black mop launch itself straight at him.

"Oomph."

"Hi, Seto!" Mokuba's unexpected missile attack left him in a state of breathlessness for two reasons. One, the wind had been knocked out of him and two, little brothers (not so little in this case) did not have soft knees. "Seto? You okay? You look kind of pale and sweaty."

"I'm fine, Mokuba," Seto managed to croak. Waiting for the pain in his lower regions to subside had him questioning Mokuba's presence in the limo in the first place. Today was Friday – Mokuba didn't ride with him on Fridays since he went to the office early in the morning. Had he forgotten to sign a permission form for a field trip? Did he need money for lunch? Or was it something more… sinister? "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at school already?"

Plopping back into the seat across from his big brother, Mokuba replied, "Well, Seto, I missed you. You were really quiet at dinner last night, even more than usual. It made me think that there was something wrong. You didn't even yell at Naoko for over-grilling your steak. You **hate** your steak when it's not medium rare."

Seto had had too much on his mind, it seemed, to worry about the state of his dinner. A brown-haired girl with startlingly blue eyes had kept him off-focus for the entire evening as he wondered what those eyes would like when he said the dreaded words.

"Must I repeat myself? I'm fine, Mokuba. F-I-N-E. I can't make it any clearer than that." Seto's exasperated sigh before directing his attention to Roland, to give directions for the drive, was not lost upon the youngest Kaiba. If Seto had seen the triumphant grin, all would've been lost but Mokuba was a master manipulator when it came to his brother.

Now that Seto had to take him to his school, he could put his plan into action, the plan he'd cooked up the afternoon before with Yugi and the spirit of the ancient Pharaoh. He'd arrived at Seto's office unexpectedly. School had been boring and surely his older brother would have something of interest for him to do, even if it was just filing. Clarisse had stopped him before he'd managed to even hit the office door. His older brother was in a very important meeting. No, he couldn't be disturbed but Mokuba had begged and pleaded with Clarisse and she'd finally relented enough to try and page Seto over his office phone.

No luck.

Smiling apologetically, she'd directed Mokuba to the waiting room. He liked Seto's secretary. She was sweet, kind and was always nice to him. Not like Seto's last secretary, Leiko. She was a B-I-T-C-H. Even in his own mind, Mokuba had to spell the word out for fear of Seto knowing some psychic way to pick it out of his head.

Sitting in the waiting room had given him a chance to mull over the whispers he'd heard on his way up to the office. Something about an unexpected visit from the last person Seto wanted to see.

Waiting had seemed to be the name of the game as Mokuba's curiosity had been piqued.

He'd waited some more, wondering what was going on in the office.

And waited some more on the forest green leather couch.

What seemed an eternity later, after much finger-twiddling and feet-swinging, the door had creaked open. Mokuba had looked up and seen an unbelievable sight.

Yugi had come strutting out of his older brother's office. People always came out of Seto's office but they were never actually happy. Most of the businessmen scowled and muttered under their breaths, stuff that didn't sound very nice at all. That was how Mokuba had learned the word B-I-T-C-H. To see Yugi, though, alive, unharmed and **smiling** was a puzzle that he felt the need to solve.

So he'd done what he did best – talk.

* * *

Dun dun dun… just a small cliff-hanger here. What is Mokuba's big plan? Or is it even big? And just how the heck are those two (Seto and Anzu) ever going to settle their differences? Hmmm, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve yet. Just need to do some fine tuning…

Thanks to everyone who has read this so far and reviewed. If you've read it and haven't reviewed, I thank you as well.

Aphrael21;)


	8. Feelings, Nothing More than Feelings

**Chapter 6 – Feelings, Nothing More than Feelings**

Yes, here it is, the chapter we've all been waiting for. So stop reading this author's crazy notes and get to the meat of the story… ;)

Something to keep in mind: _Roland_ is **_Isono_** here in my story.

* * *

_Yugi had come strutting out of his older brother's office. People always came out of Seto's office but they were never actually happy. Most of the businessmen scowled and muttered under their breaths, stuff that didn't sound very nice at all. That was how Mokuba had learned the word B-I-T-C-H. To see Yugi, though, alive, unharmed and **smiling** was a puzzle that he felt the need to solve._

_So he'd done what he did best – talk._

Now, here he was the next morning, sitting in a limo with a stone-faced older brother when he should've been at school already, playing with his friends.

This, of course, was all part of Yami's plan. Not that he had to do much – today. Just casually keep Seto's mind focussed on a certain blue-eyed brunette. Just the idea of doing something so… devious without Seto knowing sent a thrill of excitement pounding through him.

"Are you sure you're fine, Seto? I seem to recall you muttering something at dinner last night. Something like… what was it… Misaki… Nazeki…"

"Mazaki," Seto replied, the correction coming to his lips automatically and dooming him to a round of questioning the police force would have been proud of.

"That's it! Wait a second. That's **Anzu**'s last name, isn't it? Why were you muttering about her? Is she your partner for some project at school? Did she do something to make you mad? Or did you make her mad? Or maybe it's something else?" Mokuba stopped and took a deep breath. Seto's cheeks had gone from pale and pasty to eggplant and sweaty in record time but he wasn't sure why. Surely just the mere mention of Anzu's name hadn't brought it on, had it? Mokuba's eyes narrowed in a startlingly good impression of his older brother as he pondered the implications of what he had just done.

Opening his mouth, Seto had no idea on how to respond. He could've sworn he hadn't said anything about her the night before. He very rarely muttered – it was too easy a way to let others know what he was thinking and in his business, it was tantamount to suicide. She must have distracted him more than he'd thought for him to slip out of such well-ingrained habits.

"And Seto? Why does Isono have a flower on the seat beside him? Why is it all wrapped up in nice paper and ribbons? Is it for Anzu? I knew you had a fight with her! Are you going to give it to her when you say 'sorry'?"

Mokuba figured he was a genius. Seto was so off-kilter that he looked like a fish out of water with his mouth opening and closing like that. Pure and utter genius. It took a lot of effort to stifle his giggle and keep his features looking innocent and questioning. Yami had said not to let Seto know that he knew about the situation.

How had Mokuba figured it out? Was he that readable? Seto strove to keep his face void of emotion but he seemed to have lost complete control over his facial muscles. He could feel his mouth open and close but he was helpless to stop it.

"Mokuba… how… what…"

"I'm just **asking**, Seto, because you were so weird at dinner last night. Weirder than usual, I should say. I mean, you even went to your room **early**. Isono told me you went there about midnight. You **never** do that unless something's bothering you and you can't work." How well did his little brother know him?

Sucking in a deep breath, Seto let it out slowly before saying, "Mokuba, I'm fine and that's the last word on this subject. Whether I had a fight with Mazaki Anzu or not is none of your concern." The words had to be physically forced out between his lips. Mokuba was too close to the truth and letting him know the real story at this delicate juncture was like asking for lightning to strike. Once everything between them was resolved and he had her attendance at his side guaranteed, then Mokuba would know but not before.

"Ohhhh okay, Seto. You want to keep your fight private. I understand." Mokuba grinned as Seto's eyes rolled skyward and he muttered, very deliberately, something about nosy little brothers not getting allowances.

Mission accomplished.

* * *

Anzu watched Yami's violet gaze slide away from her own and focus on something in the distance. With his hand still cupping her chin firmly, she was prevented from turning to look herself. Six months earlier, this was a position she would have relished. Being this close to the ancient Spirit would have sent her swooning dramatically into his arms. Somehow, though, the crush she'd had on him had dissipated as quickly as it had appeared. And for that, she was eternally grateful since the friendship the three of them shared had grown much deeper in the intervening time. The Pharaoh had even expressed his wish to see her happily settled with someone and Yugi had adamantly agreed. 

What she wished right now was to see what had Yami's attention so diverted from the riveting conversation they'd been having.

'_Right on time,' Yugi commented. 'Think it's gone as planned?'_

'_Knowing Mokuba, he's done his job perfectly. I hope he can complete his second task with ease as well.'_ Yami glanced back at Anzu and noted the question in her eyes. "Kaiba is coming this way…"

One second he was holding her chin, the next it was only empty air between his fingers.

"Kaiba? What! Oh no, I can't see him right now. How's my hair? Oh Jeez no…" Her frantic ramblings were silenced by a single finger to her lips.

"… in his limo. I doubt he'll stop though," Yami finished, wanting to laugh at Anzu's puffed cheeks. Yugi had no reservations about doing so. Being a spirit had its' advantages.

With a deep breath, she moved the finger away and stepped backwards enough to put some distance between them. Now she could clearly hear the sound of wheels on asphalt coming closer. The butterflies fluttered madly in her stomach as she wondered if Kaiba had indeed seen her.

No need to wonder, it seemed, as a black mop of hair poked out of the opening on the roof of the luxury limo.

"Hi Anzu, Yami! Seto's taking me to school today!" Anzu returned the wild wave the youngest Kaiba gave her as the limo passed them by. She hadn't realized that Mokuba's school was so close to her own home. The elementary school at the far end of the street must have been their destination. To think, Kaiba may have passed by her house numerous times without her knowing about it. He may have seen her looking less than 'put-together' as she had a tendency to grab the morning paper in nothing but her pyjamas, her hair still not brushed. She was definitely going to have to remember this little tidbit of information.

Seto crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Mokuba's legs as the younger brother popped out of the limo to say 'hi' to Mazaki and Yugi, though Mokuba had called him 'Yami'. How did Mokuba know about the Pharaoh? He'd never mentioned it to him and he doubted that the nerd herd had seen fit to inform Mokuba about the existence of an ancient Spirit that inhabited Yugi's body. That was something he was going to have to ponder later. He had other things to worry about currently.

Like the feeling of… something… that had flared up in him at seeing the pipsqueak holding Anzu so intimately, his fingers on her chin, their bodies so close together they were almost touching. It was an emotion he'd never experienced before but it felt like… jealousy. Putting a name to it didn't help him either. He was **jealous** of Yugi and Anzu's close friendship. A friendship that he'd scorned before as something for the weak and lonely. Now, a very small part of him wanted to be included in that circle just so he could move Yugi out of the way.

Shaking his head, he decided to concentrate on something different. His emotions were useless right now, churning through him like a maelstrom. Watching Mokuba plop down on the seat across from him and close the sun roof, he forced his thoughts to the impending business of suffering through another day of the useless ramblings of his 'teachers' at school.

A very small, very tiny corner of his mind continued to mull over what else he had to do at school today.

* * *

Yami had smiled widely at Mokuba's wild wave and nodded his head three times. Most people would have taken this as acknowledgement of the greeting. Not so in this particular case. Body language made for effective, albeit silent, communication and Mokuba had been beyond thrilled at the idea. The wild wave Mokuba gave indicated that all had gone according to plan. Yami's three nods, which Mokuba scrutinized intensely, meant that part two was to begin as soon as possible. 

Anzu and Seto didn't notice a single thing out of place.

* * *

Anzu couldn't help but breathe a huge inward sigh of relief as the limo continued on its' way down the street, its' occupants safely tucked away behind smoked glass. Talking to Kaiba, if for some God-unknown reason he'd stopped, knowing what she had to say to him, had started the butterflies all over again. Her heart quailed at throwing herself on his mercy despite what Yami had told her only moments before. 

"Anzu? If we don't hurry, we'll be late for class," Yugi said, gently shaking her elbow. From the faraway look in her eyes, again, she was paying attention to him. A few months ago, this would have annoyed him greatly though he would have never shown it but today it drew a small smile onto his lips. He hadn't needed anything else to go on to know who she was thinking about. She'd just spilled her guts about him only moments before.

"Anzu?"

"Sure, Yugi. Let's go. I definitely don't want to be tardy today. Detention is the last thing I need. Mom wouldn't be too impressed if I came home late," Anzu replied, adjusting her backpack on her shoulder and moving forward confidently, in the opposite direction from where the limo had gone. She was only kidding herself. Detention would have been an awesome distraction to prevent her from meeting up with Kaiba again after school. Then she could put off her talk with him until Monday… unless…

"Your mom's home? I thought she was coming home Saturday night…"

"No, Dad's coming home Saturday. Mom was supposed to come home late last night but she was early. We even had a … chat about the whole Kaiba situation…"

"Chat? So what did she tell you to do?" Yugi interjected. Another piece of information that could be useful in the future. Everything was falling perfectly into place.

"Basically, she told me to do the exact same thing you did but…"

Yami let Anzu's voice wash over him as she spoke to his other self and let the morning sunshine highlight the crimson tinge in his eyes. Two pieces were already in place, needing only another nudge or two to secure their position in his grand scheme. Mokuba had been prompted to begin his second task and Anzu was about to start seeing more of the CEO than she'd ever dreamed possible.

And everyone thought that the younger Kaiba was a master manipulator.

Were they ever wrong.

* * *

Would you be mad if I ended the chapter here? I thought so ;) Just be assured that the next chapter is almost finished and that will be the crucial one. It should be posted a lot sooner than this one was. Sorry for the long wait. And yes, it is short, but as we can see, Kaiba is learning all about his feelings and Anzu's butterflies are a force to be reckoned with. 

Will Anzu conquer them in the next chapter? Will Kaiba be able to apologize in his own unique way?

That and more will be answered very shortly. Give me a couple weeks to polish off the chapter and give it a good edit to make sure it flows exactly as I want.

Thanks

Aphrael21;)


	9. The End of the Beginning

**Chapter 7 – The End of the Beginning**

This is it. The chapter of reconciliation begins. Will Kaiba be able to say those two (or three) little words? What about Anzu? How will she deal with the stress? Will the butterflies conquer all? Get reading. All this and more awaits you…

Warning: contains spoilers for the Grand Prix arc.

* * *

English Class, 8:31 am, Friday, April 28th. 

"All right, all right, everyone. Settle down. I know it's Friday but we still have to get through today's lesson…" Takeshi-sensei's voice, normally so soothing and calm as he explained the idiosyncrasies of the English language, droned on with the annoyance of a flock of magpies on this particular day. Anzu didn't even want to think about the clock, each movement of the second hand igniting thunder in her ears as the hour of her doom slowly approached. Not that she knew exactly when she'd talk to him. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that it was better to get it over and done with as quickly as possible, although the idea of shooting a spit ball at Takeshi-sensei and getting detention for a month still seemed like a great way to avoid the situation altogether.

The tap-tap-tapping of keys infiltrated her quiet contemplation and made **his** presence next to her just that much more palpable. Not that she hadn't been aware of the second he'd walked into the classroom. She'd already been at her seat, nose buried in a book and a thin sheen of sweat covering her forehead, when he'd casually sauntered in only seconds before the bell rang. Silently, she'd prayed for her body to not react to him, to not flash a blush that the whole world could read and understand. It would have given him yet another motive for teasing her til the day after eternity ended.

She'd been in luck.

Neither of them had acknowledged the other as Kaiba took his usual seat next to her. He hadn't even glanced her way when he'd opened his laptop and studiously avoided listening to Takeshi-sensei by doing whatever it was he did during class time.

"Stupid waste of time," she heard him mutter a few moments later as he viciously stabbed a key on his keyboard. The computer gave a soft, low whine before an acrid odour reached her nose. Shifting her eyes just the tiniest amount gave her an image she wouldn't forget for a very long time. Small puffs of black smoke jetted out from the back of the laptop. With his elbows on the desk and his head in his hands, Kaiba himself gave a soft, low whine and scrubbed his hands through his thick, chestnut hair before closing the laptop. Frustration, she thought. An emotion she'd only ever seen him display during his repeated attempts to wrest Yugi's title away from him.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Kaiba?" Takeshi-sensei's voice cut through her thoughts like a knife, his crisp, clipped English startling her.

"Other than your lack of proper teaching skills?" Kaiba replied, his English fluently perfect, accent and all. "No, there is no problem."

Anzu sucked in her breath, hearing other students in the class do the same. Takeshi-sensei was not a strict teacher but he could be a bull when challenged. Was Kaiba angling for detention for the next month himself? There went her plans for the spit ball…

"Then I suggest you take out a piece of paper and continue your work in long hand or is that too difficult an assignment for you?" The raised eyebrow was a sure indication that Takeshi-sensei was getting ready for an all out confrontation. Students like Kaiba Seto were used to getting their own way in a classroom and he honestly couldn't blame them. Kaiba's English was better than his own and so he let the boy do whatever he wanted during class time as long as it didn't interfere with his own teaching.

Seto took a deep breath, about to argue the point Takeshi-sensei had just made, when he caught Mazaki glancing his way, her face a priceless mask of surprise. What good would it do to egg the teacher on and get detention for a moot point anyway? He'd been about to reach for his school bag and do precisely what the teacher had asked in the first place. The only difference was, he didn't have any work to continue. Everything he'd done on the computer had been gibberish. With Mazaki sitting less than two feet away from him, and his impending apology very close to the forefront of his mind, he hadn't been able to string even a simple sentence together.

"Thank you, Mr. Takeshi, for the suggestion."

Anzu couldn't help but grin a bit at the subtle, sarcastic tone Kaiba used. Takeshi-sensei gave him a hard stare before resuming his walk around the classroom. Only Kaiba could get away with something like that. The teacher had never really said anything to him before about his lack of participation in class, but listening to Kaiba speak English, in that whiskey-smooth voice of his that made the butterflies in her stomach flutter madly all over again, made her realize that it would have been useless. Even him being in the class was futile since his English was probably perfectly fluent.

With all of the commotion Kaiba had raised, she figured that class had to be almost over. Her personal hell of silent sweating was close to being finished and then the butterflies that hadn't really disappeared since this morning's encounter with Mokuba could flutter away into nothingness. Lifting her eyes higher to the clock on the wall, her heart quailed at the sight.

8:48 am.

Another twenty seven minutes before she was released from the torture of sitting next to a fuming Kaiba. She was never going to make it. Not when he kept shifting in his seat, the scratching of his pen making her ears itch and the occasional flash of pant leg into her line of vision making her skin deliciously goose bump. Dropping her eyes towards the book she was supposed to be silently reading, something odd happened. Something she hadn't been expecting, not in a million years.

Bright sapphire met blue steel.

Seto's heart skipped a beat at the fleeting contact with her eyes. Her frightened squeak was so unlike her that his eyes narrowed in scrutiny. Mazaki Anzu's face was once more buried in her book, which was upside down he noted, but he didn't miss the flash of red lightning across her cheeks. What could **she** be embarrassed about? He was the one that had to swallow his considerable pride and (gasp) apologize, once he found her alone somewhere. This wasn't something he wanted broadcast about the school.

His plans to intercept her before class had been ruined by Mokuba's rather untimely decision to spend time with him before school. There'd been something about the car ride to his younger brother's school that still didn't ring quite true. Mokuba had given up an entire half hour of romping with his friends to play twenty questions with Seto instead. That in itself was strange but to happen upon Mazaki and Yugi as they walked to school didn't seem very coincidental. It had the feeling of a planned set-up.

Anzu watched his brows furrow together and his eyes turn inward. How much more of an idiot could she have been? She'd actually squeaked when she'd caught his eyes. Squeaked like a frightened little mouse. All of the courage she'd gained from Yugi and Yami's pep talk before class had fled at the sight of his blue eyes. If she couldn't even look at him, how was she supposed to apologize to him? Staring at her feet as she mumbled something unintelligible under her breath wouldn't be the right thing to do. Her conscience would never allow that to happen without harping on her mercilessly to do it properly, again and again if necessary, until she got it right.

Why did today have to be so difficult?

If only they'd both realized that they'd had the same thought at the same time.

* * *

She wasn't even safe at lunchtime. 

It had all begun normally enough after the bell had rung. She'd run to her locker to grab her lunch, wending her way through the hoard of students with similar ideas, and then met the guys at their usual table in the cafeteria. Jounouchi, Yugi and Honda had been waiting for her already and waved as she entered through the two large double doors. With a smile, she walked over and joined them.

On a normal day, she would have regaled them with tales of the marvels and mysteries of math and science (the other two classes she had before lunch) and they would have feigned interest for her sake, sometimes even asking a pertinent question or two that made her eyebrows rise in surprise. Then it would be time for their tales of hijinx and hilarity and what they'd done during class instead of paying attention or studying. Then Anzu would reprimand them for their childish ways as she ducked away from a firestorm of salt and pepper packets before all four of them collapsed into breathless laughter.

That was a normal, typical, ordinary, common, average day.

Today, however, was anything but normal.

Nightmares of apologies gone awry and condescending laughter plagued her thoughts. Her tales of math were silenced in the face of this threat that she feared was all too real a possibility. Quietly, she consumed her lunch (instant chicken ramen cup, banana, chocolate milk, butterscotch pudding) while desperately trying to digest the iron lead that had made its home in the pit of her stomach.

Her friends were not completely oblivious to her unusual lack of participation in their lunchtime antics. Jounouchi and Honda had shared a glance that spoke volumes. They attributed her need for solitary consumption as an extension of her 'female' issues from yesterday. At least they were half right. Yugi himself concentrated on distracting the other two with a game or two of Duel Monsters, hoping they wouldn't notice the occasional flare of bright crimson on her cheeks.

All in all, lunchtime had started out beautifully, a perfect haven away from Kaiba and his devastatingly blue eyes. He never ate lunch in the school cafeteria, preferring the solitude an empty classroom offered to the inane gossip muttered by the lowly peons that were his classmates.

"… and now I'll sacrifice Celtic Guardian and Beaver Warrior to summon Dark Magician in attack mode!" Yugi exclaimed, about to trounce Jounouchi for the third time in a row. Anzu lifted her eyes at his pronouncement, about to congratulate him on yet another duel well-played when a strange feeling prompted her to shift her gaze to the cafeteria doors. Slowly, the blood drained from her face and her eyes widened in disbelief.

Kaiba Seto stood in the middle of the double doors, the sea of students passing in and out giving him a wide berth.

Seto scrutinized the packed tables full of chattering teenagers, snippets of conversation assaulting his ears from every angle.

"… can't believe Nikko did that to her…"

"… -sensei assigned us so much homework for the weekend…"

"… sale on at that awesome little store in…"

"… such a cute little skirt in the window of that wonderful store. I almost bought it…"

"… ybags doing here? Doesn't he have a rock to crawl under?"

"Jounouchi, that's not a nice thing to say, even if it is true."

Seto could pick those two voices out of millions. It had to be the mutt and the freak. No one else would dare to insult him within his range of hearing. Turning slowly towards that side of the cafeteria, he watched as other students scattered from his intended path. With a smirk, he began his slow, measured stride across the floor of the large room, ignoring the stares and whispers as he passed by. It wasn't everyday that the students of Domino High were graced with his presence and his towering height, when combined with his ultimate glare, was just enough to intimidate even the most rabidly obsessed girls.

"He's coming this way. What could he want…? Anzu? Did you just **squeak**?" Jounouchi's eyes held confusion as he looked over at his female friend.

Yugi was absolutely useless as a shield, she decided. Not enough width in the shoulders to hide a pair of slippers let alone her entire body. Still, she tried to make herself small enough that Kaiba wouldn't notice her presence. And she wasn't going to dignify Jounouchi's question with any response since she wasn't sure her vocal cords were in proper working order. That was the second time she'd squeaked. Not that she'd meant to or anything. It had just happened. Twice. In Kaiba's presence.

Was Mazaki actually trying to **hide** behind Yugi? Or was there something else going on there that he didn't know about? And why did his stomach twist at the thought? It felt like this morning, when he'd seen Yugi or Yami or whoever holding her chin. Jealousy again. No one noticed the slight hitch in his step as he quickened his pace.

What was he going to say when he got to their table anyways? He didn't want what he had to say broadcast over the school gossip system seconds after he said it. This was supposed to be a private matter between him and Anz… Mazaki. Lunchtime in a crowded cafeteria was hardly what he called private but something had prompted him to enter the domain of his classmates, something about needing to see blue eyes and brown hair that he couldn't explain to himself, no matter how hard he tried.

Slowly, Anzu watched him approach the table, his blue eyes focussed on her and her alone, and stop. All sound around her fell away as she was swept up in his gaze. Jounouchi and Honda tried to get a rise out of Kaiba, but to no avail. Kaiba was too intent on staring Anzu into oblivion to notice anything those two said or did, Yugi noticed. Yami just smiled. Perfect.

Confusion, absolute chaos, held sway in her mind as his eyes stayed on hers. Anzu could read a promise there, a promise to see her at a later date and resolve the issue between them. That wasn't the confusing part. She'd known all along that they were going to meet again, in a more private place. She'd been planning on catching him after school anyways. The confusion came from the feelings his look aroused in her.The part of her that should have disliked him for what he'd done to them over the past few years, how he'd degraded and insulted them from the beginning, how he'd dismissed the idea of magic and ancient spirits as pure bunk, had turned betrayer on her and relished his gaze. She was melting and freezing at the same time, a strange euphoria joining the butterflies in her stomach. Her heart sped up its beating in her chest. The flooding of her cheeks was imminent.

Nothing else existed in that moment as Seto watched her blue eyes widen slightly in disbelief. He could lose himself in her eyes, he absently thought, noting that she moved away from Yugi and leaned slightly forward, more towards **him**, looking as if she were about to say something that would change his life forever. The blush rising on her cheeks was most becoming as well. His mind froze on that thought. That was it. He'd had enough. First, he was jealous of **Yugi** and now he was finding Anz… Mazaki… attractive on a more personal level.

Seto forced his eyes away from hers and began his trek across the cafeteria once more, leaving her more than bewildered and confused.

"What the hell was that all about?" Jounouchi exclaimed, rounding his golden gaze on Anzu. Something had passed between them and Jounouchi was at a loss to explain it. Kaiba had completely ignored him. **Completely**. That had never happened before, never in the history of knowing him had Kaiba not thrown back some sort of hoighty-toighty, smart ass remark. Kaiba had only been interested in looking at Anzu. Something fishy was going on that he knew nothing about. And he didn't like it, not one, little, itty-bitty bit.

Anzu didn't know how to answer that question. She wasn't even sure what had happened just then. How was she supposed to explain it to Jounouchi when she didn't know any more than he did?

"Just be glad he didn't toss you across the room for that last remark you made," Yugi interjected, trying to save Anzu from Jounouchi's more militant side.

"Hey, just because I called him a closet, cross-dressing freak is no reason for him to get upset. Have you seen his trench coats? The guy **wants** to be in a dress." Jounouchi's attention shifted to Yugi and left Anzu alone, for which she was eternally grateful. Yugi always knew when to come to the rescue. It helped that Jounouchi was easy to distract. Turning around slightly, she just managed to catch a final glimpse of pant leg as Kaiba slipped through the cafeteria doors, leaving the room buzzing with questions about his presence there in the first place.

Questions that even Anzu didn't know the answer to and she'd been the object of his attention.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon slipped away quickly in a haze of classes, assignments and lectures. The time of her doom was approaching with the speed of a bullet train. At least Jounouchi hadn't questioned her again about Kaiba's presence in the cafeteria. She wasn't sure if she would have been able to keep her mouth shut about the whole escapade. Jounouchi could be very determined when he wanted to know something. Instead, he'd just looked over at her, pen in his mouth, shook his head and left her alone for the rest of History class (the one class they shared right after lunch). She prayed that he thought it was all about her issues from yesterday. There would be a small explosion if Jounouchi found out the real reason for her silence. Glancing up at the clock in her Geography class, she noticed that less than a minute remained before the final bell ending the day rang. With a heavy sigh, she started to put away her books and pens into her backpack. 

**RING.**

Anzu stayed in her seat, preferring to let the other kids in the class rush out ahead of her. They were all eager to start their weekends full of shopping at the mall, scarfing pizza at the arcade or just hanging around their houses doing nothing. Her weekend wasn't going to be so pleasant if this apology didn't go well with Kaiba.

The last student had gone and even the teacher had already left before Anzu worked up enough courage to take up her backpack and leave herself. The only stop she had to make was at her locker. She knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he would be waiting for her. That much she'd figured out from the look he'd given her at lunch, although it had taken her most of the afternoon to puzzle through it.

'Best to get this over with,' she thought to herself, her footsteps echoing down the empty hallways. It was amazing how fast the school emptied out on a Friday afternoon. No one would be around to witness her humiliation at least. Except Kaiba Seto.

Turning the corner, she sucked in a breath of surprise. There was no one standing there, waiting for her. Her locker bay was clear of all human habitation. No papers on the floor, no doors haphazardly closed with papers sticking out, no people standing around, talking about what to wear to the arcade.

No one.

Somehow, she was a little disappointed that she'd read his look so wrong. And her heart echoed that thought by aching just the tiniest bit at knowing that she wouldn't see his eyes glitter in the fluorescent lights or his hair catch the errant rays of sun that came in through the skylights. Shrugging her shoulders, she set her pack on the ground and began the process of opening the lock. A strange, pleasant smell tickled her nose just as she took off the lock and pulled open the locker door. Anzu couldn't help it – she squeaked again.

In her locker, nestled amidst her books, papers, and stray Duel Monster cards, was a flower in a small, glass vase. A Japanese rose to be exact, its' white petals glowing softly in the afternoon sunshine. She'd never seen such a perfect bloom so early in the season. They normally bloomed in late May or early June and it was only the end of April. Her hand reached out to pick up the vase, noting the dark red ribbon carefully tied around the middle. Inhaling the scent once more, she knew exactly who it was from.

Kaiba.

Although why he'd given it to her was a mystery. He had no reason to give it to her. She should have been the one giving him something like this, if only she'd thought of it first. Sniffing the delicate blossom once more, she noted that the scent had changed, become more warm and earthy. Something niggled at her mind and she stiffened as she remembered the thought that scent was attached to.

She hadn't even heard him come up behind her.

"Kaiba?" Anzu whispered softly, not daring to turn around and find that her mind was playing tricks on her. His scent enveloped her, enhancing the fragrance of the flower she still held between her fingers.

"Mazaki," he replied, just as softly, and she almost smiled at the stiff tone. This was a side of him she'd never seen before. He'd actually brought her a flower, a gesture usually reserved for friends and lovers. The butterflies made her wonder at which the two of them were – friends or lovers? Dangerous territory.

"Listen, Kaiba, about yesterday… I just… I wanted to say…" Anzu started, still not able to face him head on. A pair of warm hands grasped her shoulders and gently turned her around before becoming attached to her shoulders once more. To face him. Face to face, sort of, with the flower between them. The butterflies went mad at his touch, sending a wave of red to her cheeks once more. If anyone else had seen them standing like that, they would have sworn there was more than just friendship there. As it were, the hallways were still empty, no one hiding around a corner this time either.

Seto watched her for a second, feeling the warmth of her skin through the thin school-issued shirt she wore, and saw that her eyes were staring at some spot on the floor instead of meeting his own. And her words, she sounded like she was about to choke. What stopped him from making a smart remark was the red he saw on her cheeks. Was that why she was hiding her face? Her shoulders moved under his hands as she took a deep breath and began anew.

"Kaiba, about yesterday, I was… I didn't mean…" Her breathing had grown ragged as she tried to say the words that had been spinning in her head all day long. She couldn't even chance a glance at Kaiba, lest he see the blush on her cheeks. Too bad she didn't realize that her hair wasn't quite long enough to cover her cheeks even when she was looking at the floor.

And, much as he hated to stop admiring the pretty blush on her cheeks, some form of intervention was needed before she hyperventilated.

"Listen, Mazaki, before you choke to death on your own words, let me speak for both of us about yesterday…" Seto had her attention now. Her eyes warily looked up at him, expecting him to do something to make her squeak again, and the blush slowly faded from her cheeks. And his hands were still on her shoulders, reluctant to let go just in case she bolted like a frightened mouse. "It was unfair of me to just assume you were free to attend the Grand Spring Ball with me. I… I… deserved everything you said to me." Not quite the three little words Yami had told him to say but the message was clear. Seto had been an asshole and he was sorry.

Kaiba was being humble and… polite. She never thought she'd live to see this. It was totally messing with her head. Not to mention, she hadn't expected him to say anything about yesterday. He'd just been himself – commanding, demanding and arrogant. And by the sounds of it, he was almost… apologizing. No, he **was** apologizing for his behaviour. Now it was her turn.

"No, Kaiba. You didn't deserve everything I said yesterday." The words flowed easily from her lips as she directed her eyes fully onto his. The hands on her shoulders were still warm and supportive. "I was in a horrible mood and I took it out on you. My behaviour yesterday was absolutely deplorable."

"Mazaki, are you saying that I deserved **some** of what you said?" The taunt in his voice was clear and his heart leapt at the smile he saw form on her lips. Maybe there was something to what Yami had told him.

"In the interest of keeping tentative peace between us, I won't answer that question." The small chuckle that rumbled forth from his chest made everything worthwhile. Why had she been so worried about this again? She didn't remember as the only thought in her head at that moment was how comfortable the space between them had just become.

"Then in keeping that peace, Mazaki, how about we forget that yesterday happened and start all over again?"

"Deal. And call me Anzu. Mazaki sounds so formal and… cold."

"Then call me Seto. Unless you still think I'm an arrogant, egotistical, self-obsessed, overconfident, overbearing cocky excuse for a man?" The grin that accompanied that remark was making her feel hot all over again but now was definitely not the time to show it.

"Well…"

They both chuckled at her response. She was so quick-witted and happy today as opposed to quick-witted and brutally vocal yesterday. Seto would have to remember to stay on her good side. The sharper side of her tongue was caustically honest. And if being nice was all it took to make sure she attended Siegfried von Schroeder's stupid ball with him, then so be it.

"Now, about next Friday?" Seto began, hoping he'd gotten the tone of voice right – somewhere between wanting and needing.

"Hmm, I seem to remember something about that but remind me. What is so important about this Grand Spring Ball?" Somehow, in the last couple of minutes, her shoulders had lost contact with Kaiba's hands without her even noticing. They were currently dug into his pockets, his whole posture radiating relaxed confidence. Totally different from yesterday's stiff back and even stiffer upper lip.

"Remember the guy with the pink hair and the weird accent from my Grand Prix tournament?" That should have been enough information to jog even Jounouchi's memory of him since he'd been trounced by the guy in less than ten hands.

"The one that tried to erase your entire company's databases with a virus he'd planted in an illegal card he'd let his little brother use to try and defeat Yugi? No, don't remember him in the slightest." The mischievous grin on her face told him she was being flippant, but in a good-natured way.

"It's his party and I've been invited. Why, I don't know since he doesn't really like me very much…"

"Can't see why he doesn't," she mumbled just loudly enough for him to hear and got a half-smile in response. It would be a battle of wits to the end.

"… so I figured it would be better to go and find out just what he's planning," Seto finished. Maybe if he'd told her all of this yesterday, there would have been no need for a reconciliation, of sorts, to happen today. Maybe he wouldn't have been half as nervous either if he'd explained his reasoning. "Will you attend with me?"

"Hmm, I'll have to check my schedule," Anzu said, before regretting her off-hand comment only seconds later. Kaiba… Seto's eyes dropped to the floor and his shoulders slumped. She was really going to have to watch what she said until they got to know each other a little better. Why did that thought just all of a sudden make the butterflies flutter again? "Sorry Kai… Seto. I couldn't resist one last dig. Of course I'll go with you. What else are friends for?"

Turning his eyes towards her, he realized that she was serious this time around. And she'd agreed to go with him. And, most importantly, she'd said his name, his first name. The thrill that had raced through him when he'd heard it had sent a delicious shiver down his spine. He wanted to hear her say it over and over. Then she'd gone and said **that** word – friends. Why did that fill him with such dismay?

"Thank you, Anzu." There was no hesitation on Seto's part when he said her name although the relief he felt at her acceptance wasn't hard to miss. No stumbling over it or stuttering. But it was going to take some getting used to since he'd always referred to her as Mazaki before. No nicknames or anything. Somehow, she was the only one of the group that he hadn't named in some form of a degrading manner.

"You're welcome, Seto."

And something new was begun.

* * *

Wow, this chapter almost wrote itself in the space of two days. It could have something to do with the elation that I felt last week when my sister proudly announced that I was going to become an aunt. Woo hoo. Wow. 

I can't wait. Kaiba now has a 'date' for the ball. What new challenges await him? And what new advice will Yami have to dish out in order for our resident CEO to have a good time at the ball? What about Mokuba - what exactly is part two of the plan he'd cooked up with Yami? Hehee, don't forget about Anzu. Now that she's accepted, does she realize exactly what she's getting into? And just what is Siegfried up to? There must be a reason for him to invite his arch enemy to such a grand entertainment...

The plot thickens, hopefully in the next chapter or two... ;)

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Leave a review if you feel it's worthy of a response.

Aphrael21;)


	10. What a Tangled Web He Weaves

**Chapter 8 – What a Tangled Web He Weaves**

And here it is. The next chapter in my growing saga. It should see more plot development. I've changed it a little bit from my original ideas since I had a brainstorm. I hope you enjoy reading it. I laughed myself silly at some parts of it. My imagination is running wild. Remember, Isono is Roland.

* * *

Elation.

She'd liked the flower he'd given her. He could tell from the way she'd kept caressing the petals while they talked.

Excitement.

She still had more of a vocabulary than he'd bargained for. Witty repartee was only one of her assets that he was beginning to like.

Exuberance.

And she'd said yes. She was going to Siegfried von Schroeder's Grand Spring Ball with him.

Exultation.

If he wasn't Seto Kaiba, with a cold, confident, arrogant reputation to uphold, he'd be kicking his heels in the air, whooping and hollering fit to scare Isono into an early retirement. In the grand scheme of things, what he'd done with Anzu (_note the use of her first name, he thought distractedly_), was a small, inconsequential nothing that would be forgotten as the world moved on around him. What made him so… happy about it was that **he**, Seto Kaiba, would never forget it. Business deals would be made, contracts would be signed, and employees would be fired for incompetence but those were things he did on a regular, almost daily basis. Asking Anzu out on what could essentially be called a date was a once in a millennium occasion.

Dare he say it?

Euphoria.

There. He'd said it. Even if he'd only whispered the word to himself as he sat in the back of his limo, awaiting Isono's arrival in the driver's seat to take him home. He never imagined that something like this could feel so good. And he was wondering why it would.

Would winning a duel against Yugi feel this good?

With a shrug of his shoulders and a deep sigh, he realized he'd never know. Their deal was concluded. With Yami's words of advice, Seto had managed to secure Anzu's agreement, thus ending any future chance he may have had at finding out what winning felt like. The luxury limousine smoothly accelerated as Isono began the slow drive through the school's parking lot and towards the main street. Too many other things were vying for his attention currently for him to be too upset at the lost opportunity to reclaim his gaming title. That was definitely a sign of maturity. At one point, Seto was consumed with giving Yugi the most crushing defeat of his life. Now, it was secondary to everything else happening in his own.

And the first and foremost thing on his mind was Anzu. Just thinking about her sent a delicious shivering tingle up his spine that he was almost at a loss to explain. Almost. Remembering his earlier jealousy of Yugi, for lack of a better term, both before class and at lunchtime had him questioning **why** he'd felt that way. Seto had never been jealous of the nerd herd before so why was he all of a sudden experiencing such an unfamiliar and unsettling emotion?

He wasn't growing… fond… of Anzu, was he?

His meandering thoughts were silenced as a meaningless glance out the window revealed a flattering flounce of uniform skirt rounding the corner of the school building. Seto found himself leaning forward, wanting to catch more than just a fleeting glimpse of material. He wanted to watch the sun play across her skin, sparkle in her eyes and turn golden in her hair. Where the hell had **that** thought come from? Wherever it was, it didn't change the fact that his pulse was racing at just the sight of that tiny bit of fabric.

Then his nose bumped against the smoked glass window, bringing him back to a shattering reality as he remembered where he was and what he'd just been thinking about only seconds before.

Fond? Possibly.

The limousine turned the same corner a moment later and his eyes almost frantically searched for the owner of the skirt. It could only have been her. Anzu. The entire school had been deserted for minutes that had seemed like hours before he'd even dared to approach her…

… and there she sauntered, oblivious to her unseen audience as she talked on her cell phone to one of her geeky friends. Seto's fingers pressed against the glass window in a naked gesture of want that almost scared him.

Anzu. Everything came back to her.

This had all started out innocently enough. Seto had needed a 'guest' and she was, quite easily, the best-looking girl he knew. In point of fact, she was the **only** girl he knew. What had happened in the space of the last day and a half had become so complex that he couldn't find a beginning to start an analysis of the situation. All he knew was that she had started to affect him on a more personal level than he'd planned on. Seto found himself feeling disappointed that everything would begin and end with them next Friday. What that 'everything' was made him pause in thought and shake his head.

All of this was beginning to give him the grandfather of all headaches. And his perception of fondness had changed from 'possibly' to 'likely'.

Wrenching his hand away from the window, Seto sat back on the seat once more and forcibly averted his gaze from the tempting sway of her hips and hair. He'd wasted enough time thinking about her when it should have been Mokuba on his mind. His little brother was about to get the biggest shock of his life.

Somehow, though, he couldn't help but feel that tonight was going to feel like an eternity.

If only he knew how true his thought was.

* * *

The merry jingle of her cell phone distracted Anzu from her oh-so serious contemplation of the rose she carried carefully in her hand. The smile on her face would have distracted anyone else, had there been another soul around.

"Hello?" she asked breathlessly. She had caller ID but that thought didn't even enter her head. Too bad. It would have saved her a lot of grief.

"Anzu? Is that you? It's Jounouchi."

"Oh, Jounouchi. Sorry, I didn't recognize your voice." Not quite a bald-faced lie but not quite the truth either. Anzu had been too busy replaying what had happened at her locker to pay too much attention to her phone. Odd since her parents complained about the size of the bill each month.

"Noticed that. I'm just calling to make sure you're okay. You looked a little weirded out in History this afternoon." The concern in his voice was clear to her and she was touched by his thoughtfulness. The tough guy act he put on was just that – an act. Jounouchi was truly a softie at heart beyond his rough-and-tumble exterior. His friends meant everything to him and he would die to protect them from any harm. She still remembered how he'd sacrificed himself to save Kujaku Mai.

"Jounouchi, I'm fine. What happened at lunch was nothing…"

Ooops.

"I KNEW there was something fishy going on at lunchtime but Yugi is so good at running interference that I didn't get a chance to think about it until History class." Anzu heard him stop to take a breath and she had to admit she was impressed. For Jounouchi to have clued in this quickly was something she hadn't been expecting.

Too bad Jounouchi couldn't keep his mouth shut and keep her impressed.

"I never thought I'd see the day that you and Yugi finally hooked up. I mean, you two have been best friends for forever. Even longer than Honda and me… not that I like him like that or anything, trust me I like girls…" breathe pause gasp continue, "…Anzu are you there? Are you even listening to me?"

The 'Hello Kitty' charm attached to her phone bounced gently against her neck as she tried to stifle the enormous giggle that was desperately straining to get loose from her throat. Jounouchi had had a clue, all right. Unfortunately, it was for the wrong game. How could he have gotten it so wrong? Did she really want him to get it right, though?

"Anzu? Answer me, dammit!" Frustration and impatience warred for dominance in his bellow.

"Jou… nou… chi. What **ever** gave you that idea?" The words had even come out semi-coherent through the ragged breaths she'd managed to inhale in the last couple of minutes. She truly impressed even herself sometimes. The fact that she wasn't rolling on the ground in uncontrollable laughter was proof of her self-control.

"That idea? Geez, Anzu, it was written all over your face when you snuggled into him when Kaiba showed up in the cafeteria. And when you squeaked, I thought it was because you were scared of Kaiba kicking the crap out of him. You should have seen the look on his face when he stopped at the table…"

Oh, she'd seen the look on Seto's face, all right. Anzu could have gotten lost in that sea of blue as he'd stared her down before moving on. Jounouchi, however, didn't seem to be very good at reading facial expressions or body language at all. No wonder he had problems getting dates. Keeping her own mouth shut seemed a prudent gesture at this point.

"… and then you leaned forward with this look of challenge on your face. Kaiba took off with his tail between his legs…"

Point taken. Game over. Anzu wins.

And how was she supposed to dispute Jounouchi's _accurate_ observations without telling him the truth? That was a sobering thought.

"… still can't believe you and Yugi have hooked up. Hmmm, speaking of the little guy, have you talked to him since last bell? I tried calling the shop but Grandpa said he wasn't there and wasn't expecting him home for an hour at least. Something about an errand he had to run?"

Finally, she could get a word in. And everyone thought **she** had the phone permanently attached to her ear.

"No Jounouchi, I haven't talked to him and I don't know what errand he had to run. I think I should also set the record straight…"

"Oh, you want to keep you and Yugi quiet? That's fine by me…" The glee in his voice was almost unbearable. It was like he'd discovered hidden treasure under the ocean depths. Or under his bed, whichever one was harder.

"No, Jounouchi, you don't understand. There is no "me and Yugi…"" Exasperation filled her. Talking to him was a trial sometimes.

"Oh, you and the Pharaoh then? That's going to be a little awkwa…"

"NO! There is nothing going on between me and ANYBODY! Can you get that through your head, Jounouchi?" Anzu couldn't make it any clearer than that. Her, Yugi and Yami were just very close friends. _Then what about Seto?_ Dangerous territory.

"Really? Because you seemed really cosy with Yugi at lunch…" Jounouchi's voice was small and quiet. Maybe he'd managed to sense her frustration with him and his thickheadedness.

"There is nothing between us but the bonds of friendship, Jounouchi. I don't know how else to explain it to you in a way that you'll understand." With a breathy sigh, she resumed walking towards her home. All she really wanted was a good soak in the tub. Something to relieve the stress of the day and to give her a chance to think about what had happened in the last couple of days.

"Then, Anzu, please explain to me what the **hell** Kaiba was doing in the cafeteria today?" Maybe Jounouchi wasn't as blind and blonde as she'd thought.

"I don't know, Jounouchi. I really don't. It's not like I'm his close personal friend or anything," she replied, hoping the sarcasm would throw him off. She didn't want to spend the next hour on the phone explaining to him what exactly was going on between her and Seto when she didn't have a clue herself. They were more than acquaintances now but still less than friends and that made her sad.

"All right, Anzu. I'm sorry for blurting out on you like that. I just need some sort of explanation for his little parade through the cafeteria."

"It's okay. I'm just glad you talked to me before you managed to get a hold of Yugi. I think you would have shocked him into the hospital with that whole 'me 'n' him' idea." She couldn't be mad at Jounouchi. It never worked.

"Okay, Anzu. Listen I'll talk to you about plans for this weekend later, kay?"

"Sure. I'll talk to you later, Jounouchi. Bye."

"Bye, Anzu."

With a click, she closed her phone and replaced it in her pocket.

Well, one hurdle avoided, ten more created. How was she supposed to tell Jounouchi about next Friday without him exploding like Vesuvius?

It was decided. She'd deal with that after the weekend. Anzu could hear the bathtub calling to her, promising to soothe away her aches and pains in a lavender scented cloud of steam.

* * *

"That was an Oscar winning performance," Jounouchi commented out loud as he replaced the phone in its' cradle. With a smirk in Honda's direction, he got an answering one in return. "What did you think of it?"

"Perfect. But why did Yugi ask us to do this again?" Honda threw his hands up into the air. Yugi had been all mysterious when he'd asked them to perform this little task during Social Studies (the last class of the day that the three of them shared). It had totally piqued both of their interests.

"Something about cleaning up loose ends was all he said. I need to get a hold of that guy and pin him down to a real answer. There's something bigger going on here and I want in on it." Jounouchi leaned back against the wall behind his bed and threw a pillow at Honda.

"Do you think it has something to do with Anzu and Kaiba?" For all of his pencil-headedness, Honda was the smart one at times.

"I don't know but I definitely want to find out. Kaiba showing up in the cafeteria like that – there has to be a reason behind it."

"Maybe Kaiba **likes** Anzu? You know he doesn't have a lot of experience with girls…" Honda blurted out before thinking.

"Unlike me," Jounouchi grinned cheekily. He didn't even have time to duck from the pillow that wiped the smile from his face.

"In your dreams. But getting back to Yugi. When is he supposed to be home?" Honda had much quicker reflexes than Jounouchi and avoided the pillow that was tossed back at him. Honda was also quicker in thought. Distracting Jounouchi from his previous line of questioning was important. He'd been too close on that one. Jounouchi didn't need to know anything yet. Yugi had said that Jounouchi shouldn't find out until next week sometime, when it would be too late to stop it from happening. Honda's mission was to keep Jounouchi 'occupied' for the next few days. Why, he had asked. Because, Yugi had patiently explained, things were about to happen that he shouldn't know about just yet. And so Honda had found out about next Friday and promised to do his best to keep the blonde boy out of Anzu's way for the weekend at least.

"Grandpa only said that he had an errand to run. I think the old guy knows more than he's letting on."

"He probably does. What do you say we go annoy him until he tells us?"

"That sounds like a plan. But first…"

"PIZZA!" The sound of their identical shouts was still echoing through Jounouchi's room as the front door slammed behind the two boys.

* * *

"Do you have what I asked for?" The deep, solemn voice contained hints of laughter. Sunlight danced in the blonde highlights of his spiky hair as he regarded the young, black-haired boy before him. An answering grin met his words and the exchange was made.

"Everything you wanted is printed there. Just make sure that Seto never finds out I gave it to you. I won't have an allowance for weeks if he knew I'd broken into his computer…" Everything was too much for the younger Kaiba and he let out a giggle of glee.

"Don't worry about that, Mokuba. What you have done for me will be invaluable in the next few days. And I want to thank you for your help…" Yami replied, settling back in the leather chair in Kaiba's office. Everything was going according to plan.

Everything.

"Don't thank me for it. I'm glad to help if it keeps Seto out of the office more often. He needs to get a life." Mokuba turned his head as footsteps echoed in the hallway outside of the office. "Uh-oh."

"It's all right, Mokuba. I have other reasons to be here. There are some things that I must teach your older brother today and tonight if necessary." Yami let out a mirthful chuckle of his own as he saw a grin spread over Yugi's spiritual face.

"Is that why you asked for…" Mokuba wasn't allowed to finish as Yami silenced him.

"Exactly." That was too much for Yugi as he broke down in laughter.

The door to the office creaked open and Seto strode in confidently. He wasn't expecting the sight that greeted him.

* * *

Let the games begin. I had so much fun writing this chapter but I can't wait to get into the next one. Yes, again, this is a set-up chapter but there is plot development. The web around Seto and Anzu grows tighter and tighter. Stay tuned for more hilarity in the next few chapters. I promise that more will happen.

And yes, I was deliberately mysterious as to Mokuba's second task. It will come to light in the next few chapters as the plot thickens.

Thanks for reading and thanks for reviewing.

Aphrael21;)


	11. A Lesson or Two

**Chapter 9 – A Lesson or Two**

Have I left you all in suspense long enough? Have you enjoyed waiting for Seto's surprise? Good. Then begin reading now. Be prepared for the unexpected. I'm sure that Jounouchi and Honda being brought in threw some of you for a loop. Good. My devious plan has worked… I still have a few more tricks up my sleeve.

* * *

"Mom! I'm home!" Anzu let the door slam shut behind her as she carefully unslung her backpack from her shoulder and placed it in the corner of the main entrance. At that moment, there was nothing more important to her than guaranteeing the safety of the rose she still carried – except having a good long soak. The yearning for lavender bath beads and vanilla candles had grown with every step closer to home.

"Hi Anzu." Her mother's head poked out from around the corner in the kitchen and Anzu smiled at the dishevelled mess of hair. Today must have been a day off for her. "Dinner's running a little late. Did you want a snack? You must be starving." Definitely a day off and she'd had a snooze if Anzu was any judge of the wrinkles on her face.

"No, I'm okay, Mom, but a coffee would be great. You look like you need it more than me though," Anzu replied, traipsing into the kitchen to get the kettle going. Setting the flower down on the counter, she turned her back to grab the kettle and fill it from the sink.

"Is it that obvious?"

"The pillow marks are a dead giveaway every time. And you never make a late dinner unless you've had a nap." Anzu laughed at the red flush on her mother's cheeks. "Naps are a good thing. Especially for someone your age."

"Anzu, how could you say something like that and to your own mother no less. I'm crushed," Miyu wailed, her hand overdramatically posed on her forehead. That was it. Both of them lost it and giggled. "Now, tell me. Who gave you that beautiful rose?"

"Who do you think?" Anzu replied, grinning at the mystified expression on her mother's face.

"How many guesses do I get?"

"One. And Jounouchi is NOT an option."

"Hmm, then I'd have to say that one Kaiba Seto gave it to you. You followed my advice then?" Miyu looked expectantly at her daughter and gently smiled at the flattering flush on her cheeks. Definitely a good sign that she had, otherwise she suspected that she would be consoling a crying teenager instead of trading banter.

"Well, sort of… I didn't even get the nerve to talk to him before class because…" Anzu wove her tale masterfully, every nuance of every feeling she'd felt coming through her words and touching Miyu deeply. If only Anzu would realize _why_ she'd been nervous… but it wasn't her place to tell her daughter that what she was feeling was the beginnings of a crush. Or the conscious realization of one if her name calling in the night were any indication.

"… and then he asked me again to this Grand Spring Ball next Friday…" Anzu smiled at her mother's gasp and took it for surprise.

"And…" Miyu prompted, breathlessly awaiting the answer.

"And… I said yes," Anzu replied, beaming at the shocked 'O' of her mother's mouth. She recovered quickly.

"Well, at least you didn't yell at him again. Now, here comes a very important question."

"What?"

"Have you decided on what you're going to wear?"

* * *

_The door to the office creaked open and Seto strode in confidently. He wasn't expecting the sight that greeted him._

"And just what, may I ask, are the two of **you** doing in **my** office?" Seto watched the identical Cheshire grins widen and felt his headache escalate astronomically. It wasn't enough that he'd just done the hardest thing in his life – apologize and ask a girl out at the same time – now he had to come home to see Yami waiting for him in his office, ready to gloat in triumph. That was the only reason that Seto could think of for him to be there.

"Greetings to you as well, Kaiba. Mokuba was just… entertaining me until your arrival although he tried to advise me that you weren't to be expected until well into the evening," Yami replied, nonchalantly tucking the papers he held into an inner pocket. No need for Kaiba to find out his ulterior motives for being there. Not until it was too late at least and the web too tangled for him to escape. "I trust things went well after school?"

"What went well after school, Seto? Did it have something to do with the flower you had this morning in the limo? And why **aren't** you at the office?" Mokuba swung his violet-grey gaze between the two older boys and saw the look they shared. With a sigh, Mokuba realized he wasn't going to get any answers just yet, not until Yami left and he could devastate his older brother with his cutest face. He'd almost grown out of it and he had to use it while it still had its' desired effect of getting him what he wanted. Twelve year old boys had to be resourceful and find new ways of manipulating older siblings. That's exactly what Yami had shown him. With a few clicks of the keyboard and a well-guessed password or three, Mokuba had begun a chain of events that would see Seto spending more time out of the office than in it. The company could run itself for the time being while its' CEO finally got a life.

"Yes Mokuba, it did have something to do with the flower I had this morning. I'll explain it all to you later. Right now, I need to speak to Yami, alone." Seto saw the surprise on his little brother's face and almost laughed. Mokuba hadn't expected to hear that. That was one lesson he'd learned early on in life – be unpredictable. "I'm sure you have some homework to do right now? Something that will occupy you until dinnertime?"

"Sure, Seto. I'll have Cook come and tell you when dinner's ready." Next came the cheekiest grin Seto had ever seen his brother display. "Should I tell Cook there'll be three of us for dinner instead? You know she hates surprises."

"Out, Mokuba, now!" Seto growled. The younger brother giggled at the mock ferocity in his brother's voice. Seto hadn't been in this good a mood in a long time. Once all was said and done, Seto wasn't a bad guy – he was a little rough around the edges and needed something (or someone) to smooth him out and polish him up.

Yami watched the exchange silently. Even he could tell that Kaiba wasn't his usual cold fish self. In fact, he was almost… chipper which was a far cry from yesterday when their deal had been struck.

Seto shut the door behind his retreating sibling and turned back to face Yami. He still sat in the office chair (as if it were a throne), his crimson-violet eyes calmly watching him and his pointy hair moving most gently as he stifled laughter. "Now, tell me what you're doing here. I'm sure there is more to this than just a pleasant social call."

"There is always more to this, but first I must ask how your meeting with Anzu went. It is from there that other steps will be decided upon." Yami already knew the answer but it would be good to hear it from Kaiba's own mouth. He hadn't needed to be present in the hallway – Kaiba's good mood could only be attributed to things having gone well with Anzu. If they hadn't, Yami doubted that he would have been sitting so comfortably in Kaiba's private office.

"It went well. Better than I expected…" Seto deliberately paused, enjoying Yami's subtle lean forward.

"And…" Both Yami and Yugi waited silently for his answer. This was it, the finale to part of their grand scheme.

"And she agreed to accompany me next Friday." Seto crossed the office floor and sat down in his own chair behind the desk in the intervening quiet as Yami processed his few simple words. Details weren't necessary – Yami didn't need to know how nervous he'd been when he'd approached her. Or how his heart had leapt at hearing her words.

"Then our deal is done and I would bid you good day, Kaiba." Yami made absolutely no move to get up and the lack of movement was not lost upon the young CEO. Neither was the gleam in his eye.

"But…" Seto prompted. Enough of the games, there was something more going on here if the look on his rival's face were any indication – somewhere between triumphant and amused.

"I don't know if should help you any more, Kaiba. I have what I wanted – your agreement to no longer challenge me for a **title** duel." The Cheshire grin slowly morphed into a smile that curled his lips almost gleefully. For some reason, Kaiba grew a little nervous at the sight.

"What else could you **possibly** help me with? I have Anzu's promise to join me next Friday already." Exasperation filled his words and he sat forward expectantly in his chair.

Silence for a moment.

Silence in which Seto stewed about various possibilities… most of them ridiculous to the nth degree.

Silence which Yami used to contemplate how best to answer Kaiba's question without breaking down in laughter.

With a deep breath, he began, "Now that you have Anzu as a date, have you thought about what else is involved in going to a formal ball?" Yugi chuckled and Yami gave him a sharp look. Interruptions from the peanut gallery were hardly conducive to the subject at hand although Yami himself felt laughter bubble in his stomach. _'Focus Yugi. We're so close to finishing this.'_

'_I'll try, Pharaoh. It's just the look on his face. He's almost… flabbergasted.'_

'_Would you care to finish then? Or would you leave it to me?' Yami's question was sincere and Yugi deliberated for a split second._

'_No, that's okay. He's gotten used to you. For me to pop out now would likely get both of us thrown out of his mansion and restraining orders put in place.'_

'_Agreed.'_

"…are not a new thing for me. My stepfather made sure I knew what was expected of me when we attended." Seto grit his teeth. Those had been long, boring lessons for him to learn but the consequences would have been even worse if he'd failed. Failure was not an option – even for an adopted Kaiba.

"Just out of curiosity, Kaiba, when was the last formal ball you attended?" Yami had seen the ice in Kaiba's eyes and concluded that they had not been fun affairs. For that, he felt a little sorry. There was pain when there should have been joy. Festivals, feasts and balls were meant for the entertainment and enjoyment of all involved.

"Two months before I took over Kaiba Corp. and turned it into a three billion dollar a year gaming mammoth," Seto replied, proud of his accomplishments. It hadn't been easy in the beginning – he'd had to start from the ground up – but he'd done it. Seto was Kaiba Corp. now.

"I see. Then, you've never been to one with a girl before." It wasn't a question. A statement of fact, an undeniable truth, a constant of the universe – and it was about to be shattered. In less than a week. Yami didn't have much time.

"No." Seto was growing increasingly uncomfortable with this line of questioning. Why was Yami being so round-about? What was he doing?

"Then tell me, Kaiba, of your experiences at these formal balls. What was expected of you?" Yami leaned back in his chair, noticing that Kaiba did the same, and prepared himself for whatever was about to happen. His memories of time with his stepfather did not sound very pleasant and Yami could only agree with him on that. Being stuck in a virtual world created by that madman for his only real son was not a way to score any points with anyone. Yugi could only shudder at those memories and remember how close it had been at the end.

"Observe, eat, listen and watch others make asses out of themselves after too much drink."

"Not very exciting for you then. And what did the ladies do?"

Seto raised his head and stared at the ceiling for a second. Where was Yami going with this line of questioning? Unless… "I never paid much attention to what they did. It was always about business with my stepfather."

"You have much to learn then. In my days as Pharaoh, festivals and feasts were used for the same purposes – to discuss business – but there were other entertainments there as well. Discussions of philosophy, religion, agriculture, weather and other topics were important but everything was put aside once the music started…"

"Music?"

"Yes, Kaiba. You know what it is. It usually has a beat and a rhythm." With a pointed glance at the boy across the desk, Yami took a deep breath and continued, "The guests would dance to the music or watch the dancers that had been specially trained for just such occasions."

"Dancing? Dancing is for sissies, wimps and girls. Why not just tell me to take the mutt out for a turn or two. He's sissy enough to be a girl." Anger underlined Kaiba's answer as he slammed his hands down on the desk before crossing them over his chest and turning away from Yami. Great, the subject was a sore spot with him. Just what he needed when he already had so much on his plate to take care of… unless he could find a way to use this to his advantage. He was the King of Games after all.

Definitely too good an opportunity to waste.

"Leave Jounouchi out of this, Kaiba. Your personal opinion of him is of no consequence to me right now. My concern is making sure that Anzu has a good time at this Ball she's going to attend on your arm. Besides, why do you think dancing is so… wimpy?"

"It doesn't get you anything. Dancing is not a required skill to become a superior businessman. It's a frivolous waste of time to learn how to prance across a dance floor with anything remotely considered grace and elegance." Seto kept his back turned to the young-seeming Pharaoh.

"Did you know that Anzu dances? That it is her life's dream to become a professional dancer? That to her, it's not a frivolous waste of time but a way to express what she feels in the deepest, most secret parts of her soul?" Yami watched Kaiba's back stiffen almost imperceptibly. Good, he'd given Kaiba something else to think about when it came to dancing. It was certainly not just for sissies, wimps and girls. He remembered that he'd been a great dancer in his times as Pharaoh. His wives had always complimented him after the festivities were over.

"I didn't know that," Seto replied simply. Unbidden, an image of Anzu in a black body suit pirouetting across a ballet classroom dissolved into Anzu clad in a slinky, skin-tight black dress gyrating to a sexy dance tune dissolved once again to her dressed in a glittery, flowing white gown floating across a ballroom, her arms outstretched in anticipation of a partner… him…

"Kaiba?" Yami asked. He turned at the sound of his name and Yami could see that his mind had been somewhere else for the last moment – a gentle flush had gathered on Kaiba's cheeks. Keeping Kaiba's mind focused on Anzu was paramount to his plan and if that small curl to Kaiba's lip were any indication, then he'd done his job rather well. Perfect.

"What?" Kaiba returned the question curtly. His mind had an unnatural tendency to drift whenever Anzu's name was mentioned.

"I asked if you would like to learn how to dance," Yami answered.

"Me? Dance? You've got to be joking!" Seto scoffed, although the idea held something of an appeal to him after the images his mind had supplied him with.

"Does this look like I'm joking?" Yami asked, pointing at his most deadly serious face. Definitely a face to be reckoned with, Yami thought before Yugi's silent chuckle disillusioned him.

'_You look like you're constipated.'_

'_What does that mean?'_

'_Never mind, just keep talking to Kaiba. I'll explain it to you later.'_

'_All right.'_

"And why should I learn to dance?" Seto knew the answer already but couldn't stop himself from asking it anyways. Why make Yami's job easier by just blindly agreeing?

"Because Anzu will expect to enjoy that particular aspect of going to a formal ball."

"And what if I say no?" Kaiba's eyes glinted dangerously and Yami saw the challenge. He couldn't physically force him to learn – that would defeat the purpose of learning in the first place. But there were other ways to make a Kaiba dance…

"Then it would be one thing that Siegfried von Schroeder is better at than you," Yami stated flippantly before turning his eyes away from Kaiba to study a most interesting spot on the wall.

'_Great shot at his ego, Pharaoh,' Yugi exclaimed delightedly. This had to be the easiest way to get Kaiba to do what they wanted._

'_Quite brilliant if I do say so myself,' Yami replied, feeling very self-satisfied about his perfect intuition into Kaiba's personality._

Seto didn't know how to respond. Just the idea of that smug, conceited asshole being better than him in **anything** sent his blood pressure skyrocketing.

"What. Did. You. Say?" His voice was only a whisper but the threat behind it was obvious.

"Didn't you know? Haven't you been reading the papers lately? The ball he's holding on Friday has been the talk of the town for weeks now. The entertainment pages have been filled with nothing else." It wasn't a total lie, only slight exaggeration. The papers had only caught wind of it in the last couple of days but Kaiba probably didn't know that. He didn't look like the kind of guy who would read the 'fun' parts of the newspaper without a gun pointed at his head.

"And…" Seto prompted.

"Siegfried von Schroeder is a very accomplished man. Besides being the youngest CEO in Germany, he's very well known for the other grand entertainments he's hosted in the past. His dancing abilities have been very well documented," Yami finished. Again, not a total lie. It had only been one small story in one paper, yesterday's to be exact, but it never hurt to get Kaiba's ire up at someone else besides Jounouchi for a change.

Seto's head bowed forward, his piercing blue eyes hidden behind his long, neatly-trimmed fringe.

"Teach me." The whisper floated across the intervening space and was heard as music in Yami's ears.

"I'm sorry, Kaiba, I didn't quite catch that." Yami's smirk was dangerously close to being slapped off. Seto wasn't stupid enough to believe everything the Pharaoh said for even a second. Still, even the possibility of being second best at something irked him in ways that could only be attributed to genetics.

And the idea of holding Anzu so close to his own body, relishing whatever delicate fragrance she wore, had never, ever crossed his mind.

Liar.

His voice was more emphatic the second time around.

"Teach me."

* * *

"Mom, where exactly are we going? This isn't the way to the mall," Anzu advised.

"I know, sweetie," Miyu replied, barely able to keep her excitement contained. Finally, a chance for her daughter to dress like the beautiful young woman she was instead of the tomboy she enjoyed being. She remembered Yugi saying something similar when he'd called just a few minutes before Anzu came home. His voice had also been deeper, more mature, almost as if he'd aged a decade sine the last time she'd talked to him on the phone.

"But Mom, I thought we were going to get me a dress for Friday."

"And that's where we're going." Anzu sighed in exasperation. Her mother was in a very mysterious mood. Asking questions now was useless so she turned her face to the car window and watched the scenery zip by. Instead of heading towards downtown, and the mall, they were headed towards the 'classier' area of Domino.

Anzu had only been there a few times before, mostly to window shop and laugh at the socialites with their pom pom poodles and six inch heels in winter. Coming here to shop for a dress with her mother could go one of two ways. The first way would be a quick dip into a shop, find a dress and get out. The second way would involve long tortuous sessions in a dressing room. Neither one sounded very appealing to her.

Taking her eyes off the road for a split second, Miyu scanned her daughter's profile and saw the dread clearly written there. Shopping for 'girly' clothes had never been a favourite pastime for Anzu. Jeans and t-shirts were the norm for her. But maybe, just maybe, tonight's experience would change her mind.

They drove for a few more minutes in silence, mother watching the road and daughter remembering sunlight shining on hazel hair, before Miyu expertly parked her small, sporty car.

"C'mon Anzu, I can't wait for you to meet Aiko. She is the best!" Anzu just rolled her eyes as she unbuckled the seatbelt and slid out of the car. There was no way that this was going to be anything but torture.

Miyu saw the look and smiled. "Just be glad that your father's not here. You know how he loves to see you dressed up."

Anzu could only agree with her. The last time she'd been 'dressed up' had been for her cousin's wedding when she was twelve and her father had gushed about how pretty she'd looked for weeks afterwards. Hmm, maybe there was some connection between that experience and her current dislike of shopping altogether.

"How long is he going to talk about it this time?" Anzu groaned, shutting the car door with a little more force than necessary.

"Years probably. Now, c'mon. Aiko's already expecting us." Miyu confidently strode towards one of the stores that lined the trendy section of this part of town. White marble columns softly shone in the late afternoon sunlight. "Aiko's Place" the placard proudly proclaimed. The black lettering was enhanced by gold flourishes and Anzu was impressed by the simpleness of the design. The windows only displayed two mannequins, each dressed in a streamlined business suit, much like the ones her mother wore. So this **was** where she got all of her clothes.

Miyu waved Anzu in, the tinkle of the bell over the door distracting her from her contemplation. "If you think this is impressive, wait til you see what happens on the inside." Anzu just rolled her eyes and headed through the door, like a lamb being led to the slaughter.

Within seconds, the smallest woman Anzu had ever met came bustling out from behind a colourful curtain at the back of the store, barely giving her a chance to glance around. She was short, barely reaching Anzu's shoulders, but the bun of black hair poised precariously on top of her head made her seem taller. Bright, piercing green eyes stared up at her and Anzu smiled tremulously.

"Miyu! It's been a while since you've come shopping. Styles have changed in the last six months. You should update your wardrobe. But that can wait. I want to know who this gorgeous slip of a girl is? Have you brought me a living doll to dress up?" The woman, Aiko Anzu presumed, hadn't taken her eyes off her and gave her the most thorough once over she'd ever received from anyone, male or female.

"Not a doll, Aiko," Miyu laughed, "This is my daughter, Anzu." The pride was unmistakable and Aiko delightedly clasped her hands in front of her chest.

"I have dressed your mother for years now, child, but I can tell just by looking at you that you are going to be much more exciting than she ever was." Pursing her lips, she walked around Anzu as she continued to talk. "Such a body. I wish I'd had one half as nice when I was younger, then the boys would have buzzed around me like bees to a flower. But, tell me child, why do you hide what you have been so graciously given?"

Anzu was confused by what Aiko meant. "But, I'm not hiding it. I wear nice clothes."

"Oh my dear, you are hiding behind jeans and t-shirts when you should be flaunting your curves in dresses and skirts or Capris and fitted polos. Now I see why Miyu brought you to me. I will dress you as the woman you are meant to be instead of the little girl you are pretending to be."

And with that said, Aiko began her work and Anzu began to cringe in anticipation.

* * *

"C'mon, Jii-chan, you must know **something** about where Yugi is!" Jounouchi had been pleading with him for the last fifteen minutes for any information he had on Yugi's whereabouts. And it amused him greatly to deny the young pup what little he actually knew.

"Yeah, you **must** know something. I mean, you're his grandfather – doesn't he have to tell you where he is at all times?" Honda added. It wasn't the first time that idea had been mentioned but he was running out of ways to say the same thing over and over without giving away what he himself already knew.

"I told you boys already. Yugi is a responsible teenager. He's saved the world countless times, with your help I might add, and he's old enough to stay out beyond dusk without checking every ten minutes. And for the last time, either buy something from my shop or get out! Your antics are scaring the rest of the customers." Sugoroku glanced around the shop – his last two customers had just left with fear on their faces. Honda and Jounouchi could be quite a pair when they wanted something – and that was usually bad for business.

"So you're serious. You don't know anything?" Jounouchi was finally ready to accept the truth. Maybe Jii-chan wasn't as all knowing as he'd thought. That was a disappointment. He really wanted to know what the heck was really going on. Yugi never mysteriously disappeared on a Friday night without good reason. For that matter, neither did Anzu. Where had the two of them gotten to?

"I've told you that since the beginning and you're just starting to believe me? I'm hurt, Jounouchi." Sugoroku turned away from the blonde one and winked at Honda. He may not have known much but he did know that Honda was more deeply involved than he let on. It was just something he could sense in his bones. And Honda was much smarter than anyone gave him credit for.

"All right, Jii-chan, enough of the guilt-tripping. I just wanted to make sure since no one seems to know where he's gotten to. Even Anzu has no idea and she's **always** known where he was before tonight." With a sigh and slump to his shoulders, Jounouchi turned away from the cluttered counter and wandered to the front door. Honda dawdled behind and gave Sugoroku a big, knowing smile.

"Thanks, Jii-chan," Honda whispered. "He doesn't need to know anything yet."

"It seems that I don't need to know either. Yugi hasn't told me anything. I'm always left out of everything. Saving the world, duelling crazy madmen, keeping secrets. I don't get to have any fun anymore." Sugoroku sighed and reached for his broom.

"I'll talk to Yugi and see if we can't rectify that," Honda said, seeing hope bloom in the old man's eyes.

"Thank you." That was Honda's cue to leave so he smiled politely and quickly joined Jounouchi outside of the shop.

* * *

Okay, first off, I'd like to apologize for the long delay for this chapter. I've actually been busy getting something of a social life for a change and I took a quick vacation home to Ontario to visit my brand new nephew.

Please read, review and tell me what you think of this latest instalment. I can almost promise that the next chapter won't take 2 months before it's posted. In fact, it's half written already!

Thanks a lot,

Aphrael21;)


	12. Who's Leading Who

**Chapter 10 – Who's Leading Who?**

I know you're all anxious to read what happens next, so without further adieu… I'll warn you ahead of time that there is language, too. Bad Kaiba…

* * *

"Very well, Kaiba. If you wish to learn how to dance, I will be more than happy to teach you, but what do I get in return?" Yami levelled his gaze across the desk at Kaiba as he lifted his head to return the stare in full. A smirk crossed his lips before he answered.

"My eternal gratitude?"

"Nice try," Yami replied dryly, "But I don't think that will be quite enough."

"Then, what **do** you want? Money?" Seto could tell that the Spirit was enjoying their banter and found it strange that he would even care **what** he was feeling.

"You should know me better than that by now, Kaiba. No, what I want in exchange for teaching you how to dance is your promise to make sure Anzu has a good time." Yami settled back in his seat, his fingers steepled in front of him and his crimson-violet eyes fastened on the young man seated across from him. Phase one of their plan was finished – to get Anzu to go with Kaiba to the ball. Phase two would bring them closer, he hoped. That was where Mokuba's help was still needed – the papers in his pocket were proof of that much.

"That's it? That's all you want? Just a promise to make sure that one of your friends has a good time at a ball?"

"I could have asked that you stop harassing Jounouchi but I think that would be too difficult a task for you." With a smile at Kaiba's grimace, Yami held up his hand to silence the protest he knew was coming. "Besides, don't you want to show Anzu that you know how to have a good time, that you can be something other than an arrogant, egotistical, self-obsessed, overconfident, overbearing cocky excuse for a man?"

Yami's words reminded Seto of the debacle he'd created the day before and he winced. It would be difficult for him to let loose and have fun for a change but he could at least try. Wondering what Anzu would be wearing had absolutely no impact on his decision either. And the Pharaoh's next words only strengthened his resolve.

"One other point to ponder, in case that wasn't enough incentive, was this – don't you want to prove to Siegfried von Schroeder that you can show a woman a good time?"

"I don't need to prove **anything** to that pompous asshole!"

"I would seriously reconsider your opinion on that matter. The gossip pages are also full of talk that he is quite the lady's man. I'm positive that if you don't show Anzu a good time then von Schroeder will feel obligated to take up your slack. She **is** a beautiful, young woman after all."

'_Let him chew on that!' Yugi voiced, the glee unmistakable on his features._

'_What is that noise, Yugi?' With a start, Yugi's bodiless form turned towards Kaiba, the source of the noise it seemed._

'_I think… I think he's growling.'_

* * *

"Ladies, ladies, what kind of hostess am I? Come inside and have a seat. Can I get you a coffee, tea, Miyu, something stiffer…?"

Aiko continued to talk but Anzu couldn't listen. Her hand had been grabbed and she had no choice but to follow the tiny woman to a room at the very back of the shop. Comfortable, overstuffed grey armchairs were decorated with colourful throw pillows. Tasteful black floor lamps softly illuminated the cozy area. This was definitely not how Anzu had pictured shopping for a dress.

Before she even realized it, Anzu was sitting in one of those armchairs, steaming coffee in hand, and watching her mother be served a glass of red wine before Aiko took one for herself. She perched herself easily on the edge of a third chair and her bright green eyes flitted between mother and daughter for a moment before she spoke.

"As I said, let's get started. Tell me why you're here, Anzu."

"Well, I'm going to a party next Friday…"

"What kind of party?"

"Not really a party, per se. More like a ball…"

"Costume, charity…?"

Anzu started to fidget under that green-eyed gaze. She felt like she was a bug being watched by a hungry bird. "Formal."

"Ooo, I was right. You are going to be exciting to dress up. Now, which ball is it? I've heard of a few going on next weekend."

"Siegfried von Schroeder's," was Anzu's simple reply. Aiko's face turned from merely interested to absolutely ecstatic.

"Oh my dear! How ever did you manage that? That is the most exclusive one of all. What I wouldn't give to be there to see the other creations of fabric! Enough of that. I've read that Mr. von Schroeder is a very handsome young man, about your age I think maybe a year older, and very rich, assuming that the gossip pages are to be believed. How did you get invited to such a party when even your own parents, who aren't social lightweights, aren't on the list?"

Siegfried von Schroeder. That was a name to send shivers down her spine. He'd almost destroyed Kaiba Corp. a few months earlier in an attempt to prove that he was superior to Seto. Whatever Aiko thought of him had no impact on her whatsoever. Sure, she'd thought he was cute but that was before she'd realized he was a psychopathic megalomaniac bent upon destruction. And her opinion of him wasn't biased at all, not in the least.

"I'm going with someone…" Anzu started to say but really didn't get a chance to finish. Aiko inhaled deeply and made a low whistle.

"Then they must be very important to von Schroeder to have been invited to a ball on such a grand scale. Who are you going with?"

"Kaiba Seto," was her simple reply and she couldn't control the flush on her cheeks. All she could think about was the sunlight falling on his hair and illuminating his brilliant blue eyes to an angelic incandescence. Quite the contrast to Siegfried von Schroeder.

"Oooh ho ho. That's it then, that was what I needed. This old brain has pulled through for me once more. I know exactly what dress you're going to wear. The only problem is I haven't created it yet. But I must move quickly before my wonderful idea is lost! SAKURA! My book and pencils. Hurry!"

A soft rustle of curtains only seconds later and a girl emerged from yet another back room to the shop. Her short, blonde hair was crazily spiked up and her brown eyes regarded Aiko with amusement.

"Always with the hurrying. Slow down, old woman, before you hurry yourself right into your grave." With a shake of her head, in which her hair didn't move, she handed over a large sketchpad and a pack of drawing pencils to the designer.

"Enough of that, Sakura. My niece here thinks she runs the shop but I am the creator of works of art." With a practiced flip of her hand, she opened the sketchpad and deftly withdrew a pencil.

"You may be the creator but I'm the one that makes sure you get to bed at a decent hour every night. She'd stay up all night and draw if I let her." With a quick smile and a gentle bow, Sakura returned to the room she'd come from.

"Ah, she's a stubborn one but she's right. Without her, I'd work 24 hours a day. What's the use of sleeping when you get to be my age?" With a twinkle in her eye, she smiled at Anzu. Aiko hadn't missed the flush and she was old enough to know when a girl liked a boy. The dress was going to knock the lucky boy's socks off.

Mother and daughter shared a look before a giggle broke through and they both started to laugh.

"Now, now, ladies, enough with the noise. I must concentrate before my idea is lost. I need to have it down on paper or the world will lose a masterpiece of fabric and artistry." Aiko's hands seemed to move of their own accord as the pencil scratched on the paper. "But I will have no chance of making it perfect if I don't have the proper measurements."

Anzu braced herself this time. She watched Aiko inhale deeply.

"SAKURA! Measuring tape."

"Coming, old woman." She hadn't even finished her sentence before she reappeared from behind the curtain once more, a length of measuring tape in hand.

"Anzu, be dear and stand up. Sakura will take all the measurements I need. And remember, don't suck anything in. Your mother made that mistake the first time she was here. Ask her about it sometime." Aiko peered at the three women before bending over her book, muttering to herself. Now she could work in peace for a few moments. That was all she needed to sketch out the beginnings of the design.

* * *

"Again." Yami's voice rang clearly across Kaiba's office, loudly enough to be heard over the music that played from a conveniently placed CD player, thanks to Mokuba of course. "And stop trying to lead. You're still learning, aren't you?" Not that he needed much more teaching in the first place. Kaiba seemed to be a natural, moving with a fluid grace that shouldn't have been possible for one so tall.

Yami's head barely reached his shoulders so it was hard to steer Kaiba into the necessary steps. But he'd done it. In the last hour and a half, Kaiba had almost effortlessly mastered the art of slow dancing. Fighting for the lead was his only issue and with Anzu as his partner, it wouldn't matter. She would expect him to lead.

"I'm not trying to lead. Your hand keeps dropping lower and lower. I'm beginning to wonder if you have a thing for me."

"Very amusing, Kaiba, but you're just not my type. Any 'hand dropping' on my part is entirely due to your excessive height."

At that, Seto could do nothing but smile. It was weird, but the more time he spent in the Pharaoh's company, the more he found that he was actually easy to get along with. Seto was never one to bow down before anyone in power but co-operating with Yami was proving to be something he could handle. Maybe having friends wasn't such a bad thing after all…

"Are you ready?" Yami asked, stepping towards a more relaxed looking Kaiba Seto.

"Only if you promise to keep your hands where they belong."

With a grin, the lesson began once more. Kaiba placed his hand gently on Yami's shoulder and waited for his free hand to be grasped. Yami obliged and placed his own free hand on Kaiba's waist. An hour and a half ago, this hadn't been such an easy thing. Yami had made Kaiba practice the proper forms of touching, grasping and holding hands, moving, stepping and following over and over until he'd gotten them right. There was no way that Yami or Yugi were going to let Anzu near him if he were going to step on her toes throughout the course of Friday night. The forms were automatic to him now, almost as if he were remembering something he'd known how to do years before.

Seto's concentration remained focussed on the hand at his waist, learning to read the gentle influences the Pharaoh was sending. It hadn't been as difficult as he'd thought it was going to be. What had made matters easier the realization that it was all a pattern – step step turn, step step turn etc. There was logic and reason behind each movement, something he was familiar with. Computer code was far more intricate but the principal idea was the same.

"Are you at a funeral, Kaiba?" Yami asked softly, the spikes of his hair gently bouncing against Kaiba's chin as they danced.

"No."

"Then something other than a scowl on your face would be more appropriate."

"What would be more appropriate is for me to take the lead. I think I've proved that I can handle that much," Seto replied as he disengaged Yami's hand from his own and stepped back.

"Two hours of lessons and you think you're ready for the lead? Now? You were ready an hour ago." The Pharaoh couldn't help but grin at the look on Kaiba's face. Fish out of water indeed. "Very well then. The lead is yours."

Seto looked on in bewilderment as Yami headed for the door. What was he doing? Was the lesson over? Unless…

Before he could even voice a complaint, Yami had opened the office door.

"We're ready for you now, Mokuba."

* * *

"There. All done." An air of satisfied accomplishment surrounded Aiko as she closed her sketchbook and looked up. Miyu and Anzu had patiently waited for her to finish. Taking measurements hadn't been either a long or difficult task but it had given her enough time to roughly sketch out her ideas for Anzu's dress. If the boy's **pants** weren't knocked off, she would sell her sewing machine.

"That's it then, we're all done? Really?" Anzu asked. This had been an almost painless experience. It seemed there was a third option to shopping after all.

"This part is finished, complete, done like dinner," Aiko replied, throwing her hands up in the air and smiling widely.

"'This part'? You mean there's more?" Maybe she'd been too quick in judging this.

"Not tonight dear, it's getting late and my work is just starting." Aiko looked at the girl and smiled. Kaiba Seto didn't know how lucky he was.

"So, do we get to see what it's going to look like?" Miyu sat forward excitedly. Patience was a virtue but it only lasted so long when there was clothing involved.

"No, no, of course not. A masterpiece is not viewed before it is finished. Did Michael Angelo let anyone into the Sistine Chapel before he finished painting the ceiling? No. But…" Aiko grinned as the two women leaned forward even more, Miyu dangerously close to the edge of her chair, "I will tell you the colour is one you won't expect. Anzu dear, you have the most perfect colouring to carry it off…"

"So what is it?"

"Ahh, now that would spoil the surprise, wouldn't it?"

Both Miyu and Anzu groaned in disappointment and Aiko laughed delightedly.

"Now that that's settled, I will tell you that I'll need Anzu in on Tuesday for a first fitting. About 5 o'clock would be good. Her dress is my number one priority and I want it to be perfect for that formal ball on Friday. Nothing else shall distract me from my mission!"

A head poked out from around the curtains and Sakura looked on in amusement. "Phone call."

"In a minute, Sakura. I'm just saying good bye."

"Thank you, Aiko. Let's be off, Anzu and leave Aiko to her surprise masterpiece."

What started as a wave on Anzu's part quickly turned into a rib-shattering hug when Aiko threw her arms around her.

"Don't fret, Anzu. When I'm done with you, you will be a **goddess**."

* * *

"Mokuba? What does he have to do with any of this? I thought the deal was between us?" Seto's frantic words were blithely ignored as Yami opened the door wider. In pranced Mokuba and what a sight he was.

Colourful barrettes decorated his long, black hair.

His usual shirt and jeans had been replaced with a blue dress eight sizes too big and three feet too long.

But his face, his face was what brought Seto's ramblings to a halt and brought forth peals of laughter.

Bright red blush was thickly layered on his cheeks. Even brighter red lipstick lined his pouty lips. An inch of green eye shadow covered his eyelids and long, fake eyelashes batted at him from under his hair sprayed fringe.

"Hi, Seto," Mokuba said, his voice pitched at least a dozen octaves higher than normal.

"How? When…?" Seto's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Is this what you two were talking about when I walked in here?"

The only answer he got was the identical Cheshire grins again. Papers crinkled in Yami's pocket as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Mmm you could say that. Mokuba offered his help quite enthusiastically for this endeavour." Yami didn't specify exactly which endeavour he was talking about and Mokuba just kept grinning. Kaiba would find out soon enough. "I knew I would have a difficult time giving up the lead in the dance. I'm too much of a man and a Pharaoh for that." With a look at Kaiba that spoke volumes, Yami smiled and continued. "Now then, Kaiba, you have the lead. Imagine that Mokuba is a shorter version of Anzu and continue as I've shown you."

"You expect me to picture… that… as An-Mazaki?" Seto asked, looking directly into Mokuba's green-lidded, grey-violet eyes. "He looks more like Cook than anything else. Besides the colouring is all wrong."

"Where do you think I got the clothes and make up from, big brother?" Mokuba laughed delightedly and attempted to prance towards his older brother. Attempted was the key word as his feet somehow managed to get tangled in the dress and he tripped. With a graceful step forward, Seto steered himself into action and caught his little brother by the shoulders.

"Don't you wish it was that easy for **Anzu** to fall for you?" Mokuba commented light-heartedly, innocence prevalent in his eyes. So, the little monkey knew everything. He must have put it all together himself – from the muttering last night at dinner to the flower in the car to the dancing lesson with Yami. He'd already known about the invitation. Seto had bitched about it repeatedly two weeks before he'd conveniently forgotten about it.

Mokuba was far more intuitive than he'd given the little scamp credit for.

"C'mon, **Anzu**, let's dance."

And they did.

* * *

Hehe, there you go folks. Another chapter done in my crazy little saga. Short, sweet and to the point. Next chapter ready in a few weeks.

Thanks for reading and reviewing,

Aphrael21;)


	13. Weekend Plans

**Chapter 11 – Weekend Plans**

Very small plot movement here but…

Just enjoy… I found it highly entertaining…

* * *

_Seto was a damn good kisser._

The moon hung low in the slowly darkening sky, its muted light casting a soft glow on everything it touched. The wind whispered softly through the petals and leaves of the rosebushes that surrounded the balcony, their scent heady in the warm spring air. The night was perfect for romance. No spot on earth could have inspired more poetic thoughts than the ones around her.

_Seto was still a damn good kisser, his mouth moving over hers with patient persistence, his tongue delicately stroking her bottom lip savouring the flavour that was uniquely hers. She still couldn't believe that she'd been the one to instigate this wonderful melding of flesh._

Anzu had stepped out on the balcony for a breath of fresh air. Too much dancing had taken its toll and she'd needed a break. The gentlemen she'd left behind had stared at her longingly as she turned away from them before they themselves had disappeared into the crowd of others still swaying across the ballroom floor. With a smile on her lips she'd closed the French doors behind her and gracefully stepped to the white iron railing. A contented sigh passed through her lips as the cool breeze surrounded her too-warm body. Something didn't feel quite right, though, like something, or someone, was missing.

Anzu couldn't think of what, or who, it might be. She'd partaken of the elegant canapés, drank a glass or two of sangria that had left her pleasantly light-headed and danced with every handsome young man at the ball… except one, she realized with a start. She had looked for him at the beginning of the evening but given up after the search had turned fruitless an hour later. That was when she'd been distracted by young men asking her to dance. With a second sigh, this one more forlorn than content, she'd turned her azure eyes to the heavens above.

She hadn't even heard him come up behind her, so stealthily did he move across the marble tile of the balcony. It was his hands she'd felt first, resting gently on shoulders left bare by her gown. With a gasp, she'd straightened up, her blue eyes yearning and yet fearing to look at the intruder into her personal reverie.

_His hands moved to encircle her waist, pulling her closer to deepen the kiss they were so passionately sharing. She hoped that this kiss would never end, that he would kiss her into eternity, oblivion and beyond. She wasn't afraid to admit that she liked him now, had liked him for a very long time._

The hands that would momentarily hold her close had stayed her from turning around. Instead, she'd felt him lean forward, his breath rustling the curls of her hair at her ear.

"And what brings you out here, Anzu?" He had a whiskey voice like carved velvet that sent shivers of pleasure down her spine. This was exactly what she'd been missing. She'd begun the night by searching for him and he had in turn found her. Had he been out here the whole time, waiting to catch her alone? She hadn't heard the doors open or close since she'd come out only a moment before, so he must have been.

"I asked you a question, Anzu. Are you going to answer me?" Her fingers had gripped the white railing tightly, needing something to hold onto since his cologne was about to make her swoon into a puddle at his feet. How was she supposed to respond when she could barely catch her breath?

"I… I was hot inside. I needed… some fresh air," Anzu had replied, licking her lips out of sheer nervousness. He must have caught the move since she heard a growl at her ear. Maybe she was having some kind of effect on him as well? Maybe she had the same power over him as he had over her?

"I've heard that too much dancing will do that to you, especially in a hot, stuffy ballroom filled with jumped-up, puff-brained idiots." His hands had released her shoulders and she'd watched them join hers on the white railing.

"Is that why you're out here instead of in there? So that no one thinks **you** are a jumped-up, puff-brained idiot?" She couldn't help but join in the smile she saw come to his lips. They'd always been like that – one commenting, the other rebutting.

She'd watched his head tilt back, the smile never fading from his lips, as he'd stared into the heavens above. His azure eyes had caught the moonlight and seemed to glow with a preternatural light of their own.

_Her lips parted at his tongue's gentle insistence and instantly it tasted her warmth and essence. She couldn't help the small sounds of pleasure that escaped from her throat and it seemed to goad him on to be even more daring with her person._

"What do you want from me, Seto?" she'd asked, her voice barely above a whisper. His eyes had turned to her then, still full of moonlight and shadows, and regarded her with wonder and disguised passion.

"I thought the answer would be obvious, Anzu."

"Why can't you just give me a straight answer?"

"Because you can't give yourself one."

Silence.

"What?"

"I should ask you the same question, Anzu, and then maybe you'll understand." His eyes had caught and held hers. "What do you want from me?"

Silence again. She hadn't known how to answer that question. Worse, she hadn't known if she'd **wanted** to know the answer to it.

"Here we stand, alone together, wasting time contemplating a question you already do know the answer to. Listen to your heart, Anzu, and let it guide you to the truth."

As easily as that, the answer had come to her. One look at Seto's smug, self-satisfied smirk and she'd known what to do with her newfound knowledge.

She'd known exactly what she'd wanted from him. And it seemed to be the same thing he'd wanted from her.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she'd stood on tiptoes to gently press her lips against his…

The kiss was begun and ended in what seemed like only seconds but may have lasted for an eternity. A frown creased her brows as an insistent ringing broke through the spell of the moonlight…

Anzu sat up in bed rubbing the sleep from her bleary eyes. A glance at the alarm clock on her nightstand showed that it was too early for anyone she knew to be awake, let alone calling her. Whoever it was was dead meat when she got a hold of them.

"Hello?" she managed to say, her voice sounding more awake than she felt.

"Anzu? Is that you?"

"No, it's her evil twin. What do you **want**, Jounouchi?" She couldn't help the whine in her voice, either. Especially since it wasn't the voice she really wanted to hear.

"Evil twin? Since when? Are you hot? You must be the one that got the looks in the family because Anzu…"

Her growl cut him off.

"Don't get stressed, Anzu. Just teasing. Can we talk for a minute?" The earnestness in his voice stayed anything she was about to say.

"Sure Jounouchi. What's up?"

"Where were you yesterday? You didn't meet with us at the game shop as usual and I couldn't get a hold of you on your cell phone after dinner. It was like you'd disappeared off the face of the earth." The question hung between them on the phone line for a split second as Anzu thought fast. She didn't really have to lie but she possibly had to stretch the truth just a touch.

"Well, after I talked to you, I went home to drop off my stuff and Mom was there. It was her brilliant idea for us to go shopping together after a quick dinner. Sorry, Jounouchi, but she made me leave my phone at home, too." She prayed that he didn't ask her to get more specific about what they did. Lying to her friends always hurt.

"Oh, you had to do the girly thing with Mom. Must've been loads of fun for you." Barely hidden sarcasm was all she heard but remembering the smile on Aiko's face as she drew in her book, Anzu couldn't help but agree. It had been fun. "Yeah, it wasn't as bad as I'd thought it would be."

"Not to change the topic or anything. You know how much I love listening to girly stuff, but… you don't know what happened to Yugi last night, do you? He was almost as impossible to get a hold of as you."

"No, why do you ask? Wasn't he at the game shop after school?" Yugi was always at the game shop. Friday nights were busy with school kids coming in to spend hard earned allowances on new cards to strengthen their decks or to just hang out someplace other than home.

"Well, he didn't wait for us after school either. And when we went to the shop after some pizza, Jii-chan didn't know where he was, even after Honda and I interrogated him for like 15 minutes." Jounouchi sighed in defeat, a disheartening sound if she'd ever heard one. "I thought he was my best friend."

"I'm sure he had something important to do. You know how he gets sometimes," Anzu replied, heaving a huge sigh of silent relief. Jounouchi had believed her. She was so going to make him a batch of chocolate chocolate chip cookies after this was over. He deserved that much at least for being left out of something so big. Even if he would (try to) pound Kaiba to a pulp if he found out. Maybe a pan of Mom's lasagna would help, too.

"You're probably right. It's just strange that both of you ditched Honda and me on the same night at roughly the same time. I've got a feeling that somethin… OW… Honda! What did you hit me for...Oh, okay, we'll go now. Listen, Anzu, I'll call you later for a slice, kay?"

"All right, Jounouchi, say hi to Honda for me. And don't worry about Yugi, he's probably fine. Bye." With a click, she disconnected and closed her phone before frowning. What Jounouchi has said made her think for a moment. Yugi, and by extension the Pharaoh, had been awfully secretive over the last couple of days. And if they hadn't been at the game shop last night, where could they have gotten? Maybe they'd found a new lead to find information about the Pharaoh's name? Shrugging her shoulders, she put the thought to the back of her mind as bits and pieces of her dream came back to her.

It hit her then, exactly **what**, or more specifically **whom**, she'd been dreaming about and what they'd been doing. She, Anzu Mazaki, had kissed him, Seto Kaiba, of her own free will. No coercion or blackmail, no dares or challenges or taunts, nothing. And she'd been the instigator. Her lips had touched his first…

Whoa.

Now that was something that needed thinking about. Why would she want to kiss Kaiba? He was never anything but mean and nasty to her friends. Granted, she had always held a somewhat neutral position where he was concerned and now that she had agreed to a 'date' with him, there was the possibility of something more… along the lines of friendship, she reminded herself. Kaiba was an attractive young man with the personality of a tiger with a toothache. Her stomach just twittered the more she thought about him and that dream(y) kiss.

She couldn't possibly have developed some kind of feelings about him, could she? Settling back down on the bed, she thought about it a little more, tried to put together everything she was thinking and feeling about him from the moment she'd encountered him for the first time in class. Back then, she'd been struck by his determination to succeed, to be as perfect at Duel Monsters as humanly possible and the only times he'd failed miserably were when he'd challenge Yugi to a duel (The duel with Pegasus had been a fluke, she figured, all advantages given to Pegasus because of the Millennium Eye he'd possessed). It seemed to fuel him onwards, to give him something else to live for besides his brother and his company. He thrived on the energy such conflict created and pushed himself beyond his known limits to achieve something even greater.

Maybe her 'almost' turning him down Thursday afternoon had had something of the same effect. He hadn't made it to his goal (getting her to agree) and so he had to try again, using a different tactic (flower and nice words) instead. He'd done it. He'd won her over with a few soft spoken words and a beautiful flower. She remembered her stomach doing flip flops when he'd touched her shoulders, her cheeks flaring with the brightness of a tomato. Her breath had caught in her throat when she'd thought about sunlight in his hair as she rode in the car with her mother.

Even as far back as Duellist Kingdom, she'd challenged him. Asking him what he had at the end of the day as he stood on that parapet, ready to die for his little brother, had brought on a rage she hadn't realized she was capable of. He was willing to throw his life away on the scarce knowledge he had of Yugi's personality. That was neither right nor fair, to make Yugi be the deciding factor of his life or death. She'd had to try something to make the madness end. She couldn't stand idly by and watch him gamble his life away. The virtual world they'd been stuck in hadn't been any better. She smiled as she remembered what a pig-headed idiot he had been when he'd split from them to find Mokuba himself. He never was one to listen to reason, stubborn mule to the bitter end.

The funny thing was this was the first time that Kaiba had won her over with words. Any other verbal battle they'd had before, she'd been the undeclared, uncontested winner. He may have had the smart-ass comebacks, but she'd known how to get to him, how to make him think fast on his feet. No one had ever done that as well as she had before. But him saving her life a time or two may have had something to do with their neutrality since she'd usually helped to save Mokuba's life in the process.

They'd been entangled with each other since the first time they'd met, like a spider and a fly. But which one was she?

The sad part was that the entire time she'd spent thinking about him and how she felt, she'd been touching her lips, remembering the ghostly press of his dream(y) lips on hers.

That clinched it.

She.

**Liked.**

Seto.

**Kaiba**.

Shit…

* * *

"Honda that really hurt." Jounouchi, forever complaining about something or other, turned to Honda who was waiting by the mall entrance doors.

"It was supposed to, dummy. The fashion show is starting in like 10 minutes." Honda just rolled his eyes at Jounouchi's grimace of pain as he flexed his arm. Some form of distraction had been absolutely necessary. The last thing anyone needed was Anzu getting suspicious and asking questions. She could be extremely persuasive and persistent when she put her mind to it. Now was not the time for her to become the Japanese answer to Nancy Drew.

"Explain to me again why we're going to a fashion show and why we had to get all dressed up for it?" Jounouchi asked, before a yawn broke through his lips and he scratched his stomach through a purposefully left open buttonhole. The fact that Jounouchi had actually dressed up, in a nice white shirt and sharply creased black pants wasn't as amazing as the fact that he had actually used a brush on his hair. Honda had been impressed when he'd picked him up half an hour ago.

"Fashion shows feature girls. Cute girls, pretty girls, hot girls, pretty hot girls." The list was ticked off on his hand and he knew he had Jounouchi's full and undivided attention. "What better way to meet them than to pretend to be interested in clothing," Honda explained, trying to keep his words small. Jounouchi wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, especially this early in the morning.

"All right, I get it, I get it, but did we have to get here this early?"

"Yes," Honda drawled, "We want to be 'interested', remember?" Sighing dramatically, he wished he could knock some of his best friend's uncouthness out his ear. He was so clueless when it came to girls, much as he spouted otherwise. If he knew anything about them at all, he may have actually had a chance with Kujaku Mai, no matter how much older than he she'd been. At least the subject of girls kept his one track mind distracted from the growing inklings he was getting about the Kaiba/Anzu situation. Yugi had told him to keep Jounouchi occupied for the weekend and Honda was trying his best.

This gave Honda himself a great chance to meet a girl or three for himself. What a blessing in disguise Yugi's mission had been for him.

* * *

"Are you sure he understood what you wanted for Tuesday, Pharaoh?" Yugi questioned, watching the Spirit sit on his desk and lean back on his hands. Morning sunlight shone merrily into the room and it didn't disturb Yugi anymore to see details, such as the tops of trees and buildings **through** his other self. It had grown to be almost… comfortable.

"He was very sure when we left last night, after Kaiba's dancing lesson was complete. In fact, he seemed quite… pleased to help in this endeavour as well." Yami chuckled at Yugi's wide smile before watching it falter into non-existence. "What's wrong, Yugi?"

"I'm just wondering if what we're doing is right," he replied, joining the Spirit in holding up his desk.

"What do you mean, is it right?" Yami asked back, his crimson eyes showing concern for his other, shorter self. "We both heard what happened in the hallway Thursday afternoon. It was only a confirmation of everything we'd seen up to that day. The way he looks at her in class, in the hallways, during world-threatening duels…"

"But the way you've manipulated everyone into helping. Mokuba, Honda, Jounouchi, even Anzu's mom. We've got everyone helping out to bring Anzu and Kaiba together but not everyone knows the whole plan, they're only aware of their own parts in it…"

"Yugi," Yami started gently, "Has anyone complained about it? Has anyone else questioned what we're doing?"

"No."

"Even Jii-chan has offered what help he can. Remember the conversation we had with him at the shop last night, before we went to bed? He thought we were brilliant in finally making something happen between those two."

Silence. Yugi looked to the Pharaoh with hope in his eyes. Yami truly saw nothing wrong in helping Kaiba and Anzu become something more than 'friendly'. It was Kaiba himself that had made the first move which had prompted their own 'handling' of the situation. Maybe his words would help Yugi see things in that light as well.

"I'm just questioning whether setting them up like this is right. Shouldn't we have just asked them if they wanted our help?" Yugi asked, needing a little more reassurance from one with more wisdom and insight than he possessed.

"But we did. We asked Kaiba. We may not have mentioned our ulterior motives and only offered surface help but it was still asked for."

"What if this whole thing backfires and blows up in our faces? What if Anzu never speaks to us again after suffering such humiliation? What if…" Yugi's nerves were steel when facing down any demonic force bent on taking over the world but when it came to his friends, he needed a paper bag to prevent hyperventilation.

"Then the gods have willed it to be so. Otherwise, we are left to our own devices to do as we see fit. I believe that what we're doing is the right thing. We've watched him in class and out, during duels and between tournaments. We've watched him watch Anzu with longing in his eyes and we've seen enough to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he **likes** her. Friday afternoon was proof of that. Even Mokuba, our biggest supporter, has noticed Kaiba's attitude towards Anzu. She is the only one he's ever thanked for saving Mokuba's life with no begrudging. Even in the virtual world when we battled the Big Five, Kaiba never offered a truly sincere thank you for saving him and his younger brother…

Do you understand why I'm so adamant about this situation? Why I believe in this so whole-heartedly?"

Yami waited with baited breath. After a long pause, Yugi smiled again and replied, "I guess I can see your point when you put it that way."

"Also remember, Yugi, that I would never do anything to harm you or your friends. Even Kaiba I hold a grudging respect for and our friendship there is growing as well. I only have the best intentions at heart." Yami turned to his other self and saw a gleam in his eyes, one that looked suspiciously like a …

"Thank you," Yugi whispered and wiped the tears from his eyes. He could feel the Spirit's sincerity and it was almost overwhelming. Had the Spirit had a corporeal form, he would have hugged him til it hurt. As it was, he offered him a heartfelt smile and turned to watch the wind dapple sunshine through the leaves outside.

* * *

Sweat poured from his forehead and dripped from his nose and chin. A quick swipe of his hand did nothing to ease the burn of salt in his eyes. His breath came in ragged gasps and his heart pounded mercilessly in his chest.

Mokuba was never going to make it to the basket. Sheer, hell-bound determination to beat his brother would see to that. An iron will forced him to match Mokuba step for gruelling step, guarding against any sudden darts to the right or left. The kid was quick but Seto was going to be quicker…

A fake to the left and Seto felt a bony elbow shove him to the side as Mokuba made his break for the basket. With a stumbling step, Seto tried to catch him…

…only to fail miserably.

Mokuba became airborne, the orange ball leaving his hands and arcing beautifully towards the waiting net.

Swish.

Seto's head bowed forward, hands on his knees and sweat-soaked hair covering his eyes, as Mokuba did a victory dance.

"Yes! Twenty one points. I finally beat you at a game of basketball! So much for the tall kids being the best players." Mokuba's triumphant shout rang across the outside court to pronounce his win.

"Good game, Mokuba," Seto congratulated, extending his hand. With a wide, infectious grin, he grasped his older brother's hand… only to be pulled into a tight headlock from which there was no escape.

"Seto, what gives…?" was all he had time to ask before he felt knuckles across the top of his head.

"You may have beaten me at basketball but I still own the ultimate noogie," Seto replied, listening to Mokuba begin to giggle uncontrollably as he wiggled and wriggled to get loose. Letting him go a moment later, he smiled when his hands automatically went to his mop of wild black hair.

"What was that for, Seto? I won the game fair and square." With his hair somewhat re-organized, he watched a deceptively nice smile come over Seto's mouth – one that usually didn't bode well for the youngest Kaiba.

"That was for yesterday," Seto stated, his voice calm and even despite the ridiculous urge to laugh again at the memories of Mokuba's girlish get-up.

"You mean me dressed as a girl and pretending to be Anzu?"

"That was only part of it."

"What else did I do to you yesterday?" Mokuba's innocent eyes and his 'but-I-didn't-do-**any**thing-else-wrong' voice were almost believable.

Almost.

"Not just the get-up but the set-up with Yami as well. I didn't even know that you'd remembered about the ball on Friday."

"But, Seto, didn't we have fun yesterday, learning how to dance?" Mokuba's voice had changed tactics and now oozed sugary sweetness. He must have been expecting a horrible punishment and was trying to find some redeeming qualities to lessen whatever he thought was coming. Seto wasn't usually harsh with him but maybe now was the time to put his foot down…

"I did have some fun last night but you should know by now that I don't like surprises, either. As punishment," Seto stayed Mokuba's arguments with a raised hand before he smiled again, "you get to thank Cook for outfitting you so appropriately yesterday by helping her prepare lunch for us. I have some work to finish here, so how about twelve o'clock on the second floor east balcony?"

Mokuba outwardly grumbled and kicked the ground at his feet. Inside, he was elated. Seto hadn't discovered the break-in into his computer yet. He would gladly prepare a thousand lunches with Cook than face Seto's wrath if he ever found out about what he'd printed off and what he'd started by giving those papers to Yami and Yugi. Not that it was a huge secret but Seto kept everything under password after password. He was a very important businessman and others could use the information to scoop a deal or something away from him or to track him down and stalk him. Much like what was about to happen later on…

"All right, Seto," Mokuba answered, his voice subdued and his head bowed.

"Maybe we'll have a rematch after lunch, too," Seto remarked, watching Mokuba's expression brighten just the smallest bit. He hadn't been harsh in this punishment but he had to teach his younger brother to respect his privacy at times. Learning to dance should have been between himself and the Pharaoh, although it had been fun to learn with Mokuba.

Even if he did make the worst-looking girl inthose clothes that Cook gave him.

* * *

See, wasn't that fun? I've always pictured Seto as the kind of guy that could let go a bit and be more fun around his younger brother given privacy and opportunity.

The next chapter should be done in about three or four weeks. I've actually gotten something of a social life and have to actually find time in front of my computer anymore.

Thanks for reading and/or reviewing!

Aphrael21;)


	14. Lazy Afternoon

**Chapter 12 –** **Lazy Afternoon**

Let the fun begin once more… I loved the dream sequence in the last chapter. Hmm, I may have to do something like that again (hint hint)

------------------------

_The white form stalked its way through the rapidly fading light, intent on its prey and heedless of all other concerns. It could smell its victim, warm and alive and utterly terrified, and knew it was gaining ground._

_As he looked through his therm-op scope, Sgt. Antillies watched the animal gain on the woodsman. Taking careful aim he dropped a round onto it from just inside his medium effective range of 4 km. Then looked back over his shoulder at his spotter Pvt. Angstrom, she was grinning._

_"Right, what's got you in the clouds then?" he rasped in the cold evening air._

_"It's not like you to operate outside of objectives, even to engage targets of opportunity, let alone some random animal chasing a civilian outside our designated zone of operation." She was all but purring. "Remember, we're on the lookout for ARGO's passing through the valley floor." She loved any opportunity to poke a little fun at her stoic partner._

_"Target practice. Nothing more." He shot back gruffly._

_"Humph, I say you're getting soft on us." And with that she rolled over and went back to sleep._

_"I say again, no one is to assist him," the voice of Group Two's CO was distorted on the squad coms, "anything we do will give our position away to the sniping team on the rise in the centre of the valley."_

_No sooner had his statement ended, a beam of brilliant azure light snapped into existence not half a kilometre east and down slope of the squad. It transfixed the large, shaggy predator and for a split second its fur was lit around it in a brilliant corona of light, then it was vaporized in an instant, the beam disappeared with it. The squad froze. Utter still and silence descended on the valley, and then the noises of the night returned, still no one moved. It was a half an hour before they risked continuing their journey, a treacherous route on foot at the best of times, let alone in near pitch black in an ARGO suit which stands three times the height on a soldier. But they had no choice, a breakout into the enemy's rear area was needed badly, and there was no chance of making it through the valley's centre, not with the kind of firepower opposition snipers were using here. So what other choice did they have, it was around the rim or bust…_

'Damn,' he thought, 'the beast didn't get him.'

Seto looked up at the sound of a throat clearing. So engrossed was he in his book that he'd failed to hear his office door open.

"Yes, Isono?" he asked, a mild edge of amusement colouring his words. Isono looked flushed and drops of sweat still beaded on his forehead. Mokuba must have given him a rough game of basketball for him to be so out of breath that he was actually panting.

"Sir, the car is ready, as requested. Master Mokuba anxiously awaits your imminent arrival." Seto was surprised that he hadn't snapped to attention to deliver the news. Isono had been with the Kaiba brothers for a long time, almost five years in fact, and never had he let his countenance slip. He was solidly reliable, executing Seto's orders with an efficiency that awed him, ensuring Duel Monsters tournaments ran smoothly even in the face of strange happenings and saving Seto himself and his little brother from certain doom at other times. Through all of this, Seto had never seen him crack under the pressure, had never even seen the man smile…

…until now.

------------------------------------------

The open windows of her bedroom let in a freshening breeze as the afternoon began. Anzu inhaled deeply, the smell of leaves and flowers blooming bringing a most welcome smile to her face. Her newfound knowledge of her growing crush on Seto had disrupted her daily routine. But, she found, it wasn't as nearly as upsetting as she'd thought it would be. In fact, it was kind of exciting.

The gleam in her mother's eye when she'd told her of the dream, with no specific details of course, hadn't been completely unexpected either. Her mother knew her just about better than anyone, except maybe Yugi, and she could read the exhilarated flush on her cheeks like printed words. The knowing chuckle had finished the whole thing off perfectly.

Her smile remained firmly in place as she packed a blanket, sunscreen and a trashy romance novel into her faded pink beach bag. Not that there were any beaches near Domino City but the bag was a remnant of a fantasy vacation she'd taken with her parents some years before. Fond memories of the sands and sun of Italy had kept her from ever throwing it away.

Now it served as the perfect accomplice for her Saturday afternoon routine.

Hollering goodbye to her mother, Anzu sauntered out the door, pink bag slung carelessly over her shoulder, and started a beeline for Domino Park. She deserved an afternoon of sunshine and daydreaming while she read her book, Seto taking the main male character's place of course.

Coming to terms with her feelings for him had been easy. Finding a way to express her feelings to him was a whole different game. Maybe the book would give her some insight into the scenario.

----------------------

"Man! Who knew that models could be so snooty? They saw through our act in no time," Jounouchi exclaimed, his hands raised high and head tilted back, caught between self-pity and frustration.

"We would have been fine if you'd kept your big trap shut. 'Waif-thin', 'niblets', and 'Burger King' are not words that hot girls want to overhear said about them. Haven't you learned anything about girls yet?" Honda sighed in exasperation. He'd been so close to getting digits from a girl named Sophie (a foreigner!) and then Jounouchi had blown it and opened his uncultured yap.

There were days when Honda questioned their friendship.

This happened to be one of them.

"All right, already! I'm sorry, again! Let's just forget about those girls and head to the park. There's bound to be some eye candy there. Girls are always biking or rollerblading or walking their yappy little dogs there. Hey, I'll even treat you to an ice cream cone." Jounouchi said, turning hopeful, golden eyes to his best friend.

For Jounouchi to so willingly offer to part with his hard earned money was a good indication as to the depth of guilt he was feeling over the whole mall model incident. Jounouchi could be an uncouth barbarian but he did have his brilliant moments.

Honda stopped questioning their friendship.

This happened to be a brilliant moment.

The sun shone a little more brightly as Honda smiled at his blonde friend and the two quickly began to trot towards the green space of Domino City.

-----------------------------------

'_What shall we do now, Yugi?'_ Yami asked, watching his smaller self with certain amusement. Playing cards were scattered around the young teenager and a house built of nothing but cards teetered precariously before him.

It had started simply enough – sheer, utter boredom. Anzu was at the park (it was Saturday, after all) and Honda and Jounouchi were probably out eating somewhere, leaving Yugi and consequently the Spirit with nothing but time on their hands. Now Yugi was occupied and the Spirit had had nothing to do but watch him place each card very precisely. The first three levels had held his attention since they were the most important. Without a good base, higher levels would have collapsed the entire structure. But it had been solidly built and withheld under the pressure of another four levels.

A puff of wind descended upon Yugi's sitting form and his eyes didn't register that he'd heard the Spirit at all. The cards shivered in their places, the wind disturbing their tenuous balance. Yugi dared not to breathe. The house had been quite a simple design, a square pyramid, but it had required a degree of concentration he usually reserved for duelling to save the world.

The pyramid shuddered once more before it sighed itself into oblivion.

'_Did you say something, Pharaoh?'_ Yugi asked, blinking away his frustration at being defeated and focussing back to reality.

'_I asked what we were to do now. My suggestion is going to join Anzu at the park and enjoying this iced cream you keep thinking about.'_ The last two words were stumbled over since the Spirit wasn't entirely sure what this 'iced cream' was. From the way Yugi talked about it, though, it was something he wanted to become more familiar with, especially one flavour called 'Heavenly Hash'.

Yugi pretended to ponder over the idea, completing the look by tapping his finger on his chin, but it was hard to hide his glee when the two of them shared such a deep mind link. Ice cream sounded perfect and joining Anzu sounded even better. There was a chance that they could find out more about how she felt about Kaiba without intruding too deeply to get her suspicions riled.

'_Let us proceed with some haste then. I would hate to be disappointed if there were no iced cream of the Heavenly Hash kind left when we arrived at the park.'_

With a surprisingly deep chuckle, Yugi scrambled to his feet and left the room in such a hurry that cards swirled in his wake.

---------------------------

"Mokuba, I hope you had fun getting lunch ready with Cook this morning," Seto said, breaking the silence as he eased his tall frame into the vehicle and snapped his seatbelt in place. Today was going to be a special day for both of them. Since Seto rarely had time through the week to spend with Mokuba, the rest of the day was going to be spent together. He was actually looking forward to it.

"Yeah, getting my hands dirty like that was total fun. And Cook said that I had potential in the kitchen." Mokuba was proud of his accomplishments. It wasn't everyday that he got to help in the kitchen. This was actually the first time he'd ever been in there with Cook. Usually, he was in there sneaking cookies and milk between meals only to get caught by Isono.

"You do have potential. That was a very good hamburger and cheesy macaroni lunch." And that was the honest truth. Cook had a tendency to over dramatize every meal, making it a fancy affair with proper silverware and linen napkins, but Mokuba's idea for a Western style lunch had given him a much needed break from the heavy, creamy foods he normally had to choke down.

"Thanks, Seto. Now tell me, where are we going?"

Seto's hands twitched on the steering wheel. It had been awhile since the two of them had spent an afternoon bonding. Hopefully, Mokuba wouldn't think his idea too childish. "We're going to Domino Park." He waited for the backlash.

"Domino Park? You mean the one by your office?" Turning a suspicious eye to his older brother, he wondered about why Seto would want to go there. He needed a break from working in his office all day long. And if all worked out well, he'd have more reason to be out of his office than in it. "This isn't a cop out, is it? You're not going to get a phone call suddenly and have to go to the office to fix something?"

"It is the one by my office," Seto replied gently. He was having a hard time keeping his eyes on the road. Mokuba's face was as easy to read as a book. "And no, it's not a cop out. I'm not going near that building unless it's on fire. I haven't even brought my cell phone or laptop with me. As far as anyone knows, I am completely incommunicado."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Pinkie swear?"

"Pinkie swear." Seto kept his hands on the wheel but thrust out his smallest finger in Mokuba's general direction. A gentle tug and a following squeeze sealed their deal.

"Great. But, Seto?" Mokuba was smiling and Seto couldn't see it.

"Yes, Mokuba?"

"Can we have ice cream? A triple scoop in a cup with hot fudge and whipped cream? And maybe a cherry on top?" Mokuba could hardly contain his excitement. A whole afternoon together, just the two of them. It had been forever since they'd done something like this and last time couldn't really be called 'together'. Seto had taken him to an amusement park for a day of riding rides and playing silly games. Mokuba hadn't realized that Seto was scoping out ideas for Kaiba Land til they had gotten home and Seto had locked himself in his office for a whole week.

"Yes, we can have ice cream although I think I'll just have a single scoop on a cone." Seto smiled at his brother as he smoothly slid his car into a parking space. "You can have my other two." He was going to pay for that decision later on when Mokuba had a stomach ache but it would be worth it.

"Awesome!"

Today was going to be a day to remember.

-----------------------------------

The large, wide branches of the oak tree created the perfect haven for Anzu to spread out her blanket and relax with her book. A cool breeze blew over from the pond and the sun sparkled on the water as she slipped off her white tennis shoes and settled down on the comfortable green blanket. She had a few hours to enjoy some solitude until either her friends called or her father came and found her. He was due back in Domino City at about dinner time and when she'd talked to him last night, there had been mention of a surprise he was bringing back for her.

Enough of that though. It was time to lose herself in her romance novel and imagine Seto as the dark vampire lord that had stolen her breath and her heart away. The trunk of the tree dug a little into her back as she leaned against it and opened to the very first page of the book. Something about the dark sensual powers of a supernatural being stirred her mind and sent flutters through her stomach.

'Seto is about as close as I'll ever get to a real vampire,' she thought and smirked. He was truly the dark and brooding vampiric type, hell bent on making his life as miserable as possible so that his brother could lead a better life. Such self sacrifice was understandable but not necessary at all. Why should Seto force himself to work so hard and miss out on everything else that life had to offer? She was glad that he'd asked her to the ball on Friday. Maybe it would help him to come out of his shell. The two of them were already on a first name basis and he'd brought her a Japanese rose as well. She'd looked that up on the internet last night after she'd gotten off the phone with her father and had found out what it meant.

_Beauty is not your only attraction._

He had to have known what it meant when he'd given it to her. Seto wasn't the kind of guy to not understand something like that. Being two steps ahead of everyone was the way he operated. Everything was meticulously planned out ahead and any and all possible variables accounted for and figured into the equation. He **knew** what he was doing. But, if he knew exactly what he was doing, where did she fit into that equation he called his life?

Her stomach fluttered for entirely different reasons, not the least of which was finding out that her feelings were not reciprocated.

With a grimace, she buried her nose in her book, determined not to ponder such depressing questions on such a beautiful day.

-------------------------------

Something about Jounouchi's tousled, couldn't-care-less appearance seemed to appeal to the girls in the park more than it had the models at the mall. No one was immune to his advances. His innocent, honey-brown eyes charmed phone numbers and email addresses out of girls walking their yappy little mutts, rollerblading down the walkways and even drinking out of the water fountain.

Honda found it absolutely disgusting.

Jounouchi had suddenly morphed into James Bond and oozed charm and sincerity. Where before he would have been met with derogatory laughs and snide remarks, he now got flirtatious giggles and sly, sexy winks.

He'd even managed to charm the sourpuss that ran the ice cream cart into giving himself and Honda an extra scoop of triple chocolate fudge ripple for free. Then the old bat had gone one better and only charged Jounouchi for one ice cream cone. She'd even smiled, her gap-toothed grin almost turning Honda's stomach. He himself was next to invisible.

Today, Jounouchi was protected from rejection by some strange, almost magical force.

There were days when Jounouchi's brilliant moments made Honda ponder their friendship again.

Licking his cone and fuming silently as he stared across the pond, Honda heard Jounouchi collect another phone number and a kiss on the cheek from a pretty, petite brunette he'd been talking to earlier.

Disgusting.

Then Honda saw something to make him freeze.

---------------------------

And there we go, folks. Another chapter finished. It is a little short but as I said before I've got a social life now. I also want to apologize for the long wait for this chapter. It took a bit of work to get this to come out just right… and I think it's almost perfect…

And I would also like to give credit to my friend flyinggoomba for lending me the opening sequence of italics you read. It was awesome and it seemed to fit in with what I think Kaiba would read when he wasn't working.

Thanks again, you wonderful people, for reading and reviewing!

Aphrael21;)


	15. Close Encounters

**Chapter 13 – Close Encounters**

Whew, that was some cliff hanger I left everyone with last chapter. I didn't know I still had that in me. This chapter was a lot of fun to write and I'm looking forward to the reviews at the end of it. I just have to say, I **love** Mokuba, he's such a great little brother…

* * *

"So, what **are** we going to do first? I really want to go see the ice cream lady, even though she's never very happy, especially after last time when I…" Mokuba's happy chatter continued on over Seto's awareness. His thoughts had drifted once more to the brown-haired, blue-eyed girl he'd spoken to yesterday. Over and over he replayed their short conversation, looking at it as objectively as he could.

There were no doubts left in his mind that he was feeling something other than neutrality for her. Fond was no longer a possibility either – there was too much fluttering in his stomach every time he remembered his hands on her shoulders or the sound of her voice and too much anger when he remembered the Spirit of the Pharaoh cupping her chin so intimately.

Mokuba had stopped talking moments before, his question about ice cream unanswered, and turned to face his older brother.

The secretive smile playing about his older brother's lips was enough of an indication as to where his thoughts and concentration had gone. It was about time Seto recognized what he was feeling for Anzu. Mokuba had known for months now that Seto had had a crush on her. The desktop image on Seto's personal computer was a picture of her (with Yugi, Jounouchi and Tristan as well) but it was her face Mokuba had caught him staring at and sighing when he thought he was alone. It was a mystery as to where he'd even gotten the picture to begin with but that didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. Hushed whispers and quiet cries of her name had also echoed in the darkness of the night in the mansion when Seto had actually gone to bed at a decent hour. Mokuba had watched him stare into space at the dinner table, the same secretive smile he was currently wearing plastered on his face. But what was a younger brother to do when the older one was 'in love'? He'd been powerless to do anything about it.

Until now.

The three of them, Mokuba, Yugi and the Pharaoh, had started to work together to bring the two, blind lovebirds closer. It was working, too, which surprised him. Seto was so careful about what he did and where he went. Plans were meticulously laid and he never went anywhere without knowing all of the facts. He should have smelled the plot brewing from miles away and yet he was completely oblivious to what was right under his nose. Maybe he just wasn't expecting a **sweet**, **innocent** younger brother to pull anything like this.

Which suited Mokuba just fine.

With Seto's focus not on him for a change, Mokuba glanced around the park. Children busily played on slides and swing sets, their happy screams carefully watched by parents and older siblings to make sure there were no injuries. His violet-grey eyes shifted to the pond and he watched the water sparkle under the warm, spring sunshine. Something caught his attention under the big tree at the end of the pond and he squinted, trying to make out whom it was. There was something definitely familiar about the person sitting there.

And then it hit him as to who it could be.

Mokuba's grin became just that much wider.

* * *

'_So, where would Anzu be in this park?' _Yami asked quietly, his spirit form elegantly hovering alongside Yugi's more mobile one.

'_There's only one spot that she sits in. I'm absolutely positive that we'll find her there,' _Yugi replied, _'and then we can satisfy your craving for iced cream of the Heavenly Hash kind.'_

Yami had the grace to blush a delicate shade of red. He'd tried so hard to keep his wants, any and all of them, down to a minimum but Yugi's incessant obsession with iced cream had truly piqued his curiosity. Just the thought of something cold, sweet and creamy would be a novelty for him. Egypt had been a hot desert area, with no ice to speak of although the traveling bands of traders and foreign kings had often spoken of it with great relish.

'_Thank you, Yugi,'_ he replied a moment later. Along the mind link they shared, he sent a message of sincerity for the gesture and Yugi chuckled. The smallest things he took for granted were so new to the Pharaoh in this time period. Yugi remembered with fondness the first time he'd let him experience soda pop. The sheer delight on his face had been well worth the strange looks that other people in the restaurant had given him for behaving so oddly.

'_No problem,' _Yugi said, _'and don't be afraid to ask when you want to try something new and different. You know there's nothing you could want that I would ever refuse you.'_

'_Again, thank you, Yugi.'_

In comfortable silence, the two continued their journey towards the centre of the park. Children ran past them, laughing uproariously while their parents and older siblings ambled slowly behind. It was one of those perfect, lazy Saturday afternoons that everyone looked forward to. There was no rush to do anything and time seemed to have slowed to a crawl. Rest and relaxation were the key words for the day. Yugi and Yami basked in the warmth of the sunshine and in the knowledge that their final destination was close at hand.

Soon enough, they were close to the pond in the middle of Domino Park and Yugi could almost see Anzu under her favourite tree, blanket spread beneath her and a book in her hand. Three different pathways were spread out before him, each leading to where he wanted to go. The longest way was to his left that meandered around the far edge of the pond and, coincidentally, passed by the ice cream cart. The shortest way was directly before him, just a bridge to cross and he would join her in mere moments. But then, Yami would be denied his ice cream until Yugi could convince Anzu to have one as well.

With a glance to his right, Yugi saw something that made his decision for him.

* * *

"Hey, Seto! Isn't that **Anzu** under that tree?" The excitement in Mokuba's voice brought Seto back from his daydreaming and forced him to look where he was pointing. Sure enough, there she was and looking prettier than he ever could have imagined on his own. Her green ruffled shirt and white shorts hugged her figure in ways that made his mouth go dry. If it hadn't been for his enormous amount of self-control, his cheeks would have been red and his ambling stroll would have been upgraded to a quick trot.

"We should go over and say hi, shouldn't we Seto? That would be the polite thing to do."

"All right." The kid had a point. Seto was never overtly rude, unless someone else pissed him off first (Jounouchi pissed him off just by existing but that was another matter), and not saying hi to the girl he was essentially taking on a date Friday night would have been the height of bad manners.

"Let's go then, Seto! C'mon, hurry up!" Mokuba scurried ahead of him, pausing only to wave his older brother on. This had to be Fate at work, Mokuba thought as Seto broke into a walk that was just a whisker shy of a speeding bullet.

Who else he saw coming closer only made his grin that much wider.

* * *

Honda's eyesight was keen, not quite as keen as Mokuba's but the difference would have been negligible. Jounouchi was still busy flirting with the petite brunette to have noticed who else was in the park.

Kaiba and Mokuba had been lazily strolling in their direction from the other side of the lake when they'd changed direction and made a beeline for a new destination. Honda's eyes could just barely make out the form sitting under the tree that could only have been where those two were headed.

Anzu.

Honda had completely forgotten about her Saturday afternoon park visits or he never would have let Jounouchi lure him there with the promise of free ice cream. With a glance at his friend's glazed-over eyes and the drool threatening to spill from his upper lip, keeping Jounouchi occupied wasn't going to be a difficult task. The girl he was still talking to, Natsumi if he'd overheard correctly, may have laughed at Jounouchi's lame jokes and smiled whenever he looked at her but the distraction might not last enough. Honda needed to find something else to put in his friend's one track mind if Natsumi failed to keep him occupied.

**If** Jounouchi remembered that Anzu was here…

**And** he saw Kaiba heading for her…

**Then** there would be a nuclear explosion the likes of which the world had never seen before.

Inspiration struck.

"Hey, Jounouchi, I'm still kind of hungry. Want to go to Burger World and grab a quick bite?"

Jounouchi didn't hear him. Natsumi was easily holding his attention as she prattled on about something to do with school. If asked, he really wouldn't have remembered a word she'd said beyond hello and her name. Her phone number was safely tucked in his back pocket, along with at least a dozen others, but that was the least of his thoughts at that moment.

There was a reason for the vacant stare, of course, and the drool he was about to drip onto the pavement. That would have been Natsumi's height. She was at least a foot shorter than Jounouchi which provided him with a most excellent view of her not-so-modestly hidden cleavage. Her black fitness top was made of spandex, which stretched when it moved. When Jounouchi had stopped her to talk to him, she'd been jogging. Jogging made for plenty of movement and now she had Jounouchi's complete and undivided attention focussed on her.

He never even saw the elbow coming his way let alone have time to dodge it.

"Owww, Honda! What did you do that for?" His first instinct was to strike back but the amused look on Natsumi's face stopped him from hitting Honda where it would have hurt the most.

"I did that because you were lost on Planet Jounouchi and communications were down." With an apologetic smile to Natsumi, he grabbed Jounouchi's arm and started to haul him away. "I'm still hungry and I want a triple cheeseburger with the works from Burger World."

"But…but…I'm not…" Honda refused to listen to the whining and pulled harder on Jounouchi's arm. It was like pulling teeth with his best friend. Swaying Jounouchi's one track mind from girls to food was a lot more difficult than Honda would have thought. With another tug that meant business, Honda pulled Jounouchi's eyes away from the tempting display of Natsumi's assets. What he forgot to account for was the weight of the rest of his friend's body.

With a spectacular scream that would have made any girl proud, Honda and Jounouchi tumbled down in a flailing mess of arms and legs. At least Honda's head connected with the ground before he could have poked Jounouchi's eye out with his pointed hair. Natsumi seemed to find the entire thing hilarious as she burst out laughing and pointing at the two entangled boys.

Her laughter was infectious since a moment later, both Honda and Jounouchi had joined her.

Mission accomplished.

It may not have been quite the best way to stop Jounouchi from looking around (and heaven forbid **thinking**) but their view from the ground wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Girls from all over the park were now bending down around them, offering words of sympathy and help.

Honda wasn't feeling quite so invisible anymore.

* * *

Some preternatural sixth sense disturbed Anzu. She was so completely engrossed in the story of the vampire and the reporter that she tried to just shake the feeling off. That, however, only made it come back even stronger. It wouldn't leave her alone. The niggling feeling at the edges of her mind was annoying enough that she realized she'd read the same sentence over and over for the last five minutes.

Closing her book with a soft sigh, she set it aside and tried to understand what it had been telling her. The only time she ever had that kind of a feeling was when danger was near. Stretching her arms over head, she turned her eyes to scan the park, looking for anything that could be remotely dangerous. No white hair was usually a good sign. There was nothing to the far right of her except a group of girls that seemed to be giggling over something or someone in their midst. Probably some cute little dog that was doing a trick. Girls were always like that, oooohing and awwwwing over the 'cutest thing ever'.

Nothing in front of her either, although she thought she'd detected some pointy hair ends that looked remarkably like Yugi's around the middle of the bridge. With a final glance to her left, she spotted two familiar faces headed her way. And it was the taller of the two that had probably triggered her sixth sense of peril.

There was nothing more dangerous than a dressed-down, casual-looking Kaiba Seto was. She'd only ever seen him in his school uniform and his 'duelling' clothes that always included the infamous flaring trench coat. Today's outfit was a treat for her eyes, and imagination. Beige slacks hugged his legs and hips, drawing a breathy sigh from her lips til she allowed her eyes to roam slowly upwards. The short-sleeved, button down, olive green shirt stretched tautly across his chest and defined the muscles of his upper arms, reminding her of the school uniform shirt he'd been wearing when he'd first asked her to Siegfried's Spring Ball. There was only one thing different.

This entire ensemble, from well-polished shoes to perfectly creased collar, made her mouth go dry.

Stopping her heart from beating so fast was an exercise in extreme self control and she was fleetingly proud of herself for doing so. Not that she had long to enjoy that feeling. The two boys were heading her way, there was no denying it. Not that she minded the interception and interruption of her book reading festivities. Having Kaiba Seto in front of her to daydream about was so much better than just using her own imagination.

"Anzu!" Mokuba shouted, his happy voice reaching across the short distance still separating them. Seto didn't look too happy at his brother's outburst which made her smile. A quieter tone of voice would have been much more preferred but Mokuba was going to be Mokuba and Anzu was glad that the younger of the two Kaiba's wasn't afraid of being loud and happy, both at the same time.

"Hello Mokuba, Seto," she said, her voice catching slightly on the second name. Even after their conversation at school yesterday, she found it difficult to look directly at him for fear of the onslaught of butterflies in her stomach. She could only glance upwards at him through her eyelashes and smile shyly while her hands fidgeted nervously with the edge of her shorts.

"Hello, Anzu," Seto replied. His voice sounded steady to his own ears, which surprised him. The coy look she was giving him sent blood rushing to his cheeks and unleashed a hailstorm of nervous flutters in his stomach. So much for appearing calm and collected in front of her.

Mokuba eyed them both as they silently eyed each other. A mischievous twinkle began to grow in his eyes and his mouth formed that ever-so naughty grin that only came about when he knew he'd been right.

Seto fancied Anzu…

**And**…

Anzu fancied Seto.

Now wasn't the time to bring it to anyone's attention though. They might bolt like scared rabbits at the mere mention of something to do with their feelings. Now was the time to be sneaky, like Yugi and the Pharaoh were.

"What are you doing here today?" Mokuba asked, trying to start the conversation up with something simple and easy.

"N...nothing much, just reading a book for a little while and enjoying the spring weather." She knew it was the height of rudeness to not look at the person speaking to her but she just couldn't take her eyes off of Seto. The red on his cheeks was fascinating. She'd never thought that it was possible for him to blush. But, **why** was he blushing? Could it have something to do with her?

Silence again. Mokuba had to do something to break the tension or it was going to drive him nuts. Anzu was just looking at Seto and he was being a statue. Why was it so hard for Seto to admit to himself, and to Anzu, that he liked her? Could it be that he was scared of how he was feeling and that maybe Anzu didn't feel the same way? Well, that couldn't be allowed to happen. Mokuba was going to make sure of that himself. Sneaky wasn't possible here, so outright trickery was going to be needed. It was a good thing that everyone thought he was so innocent about the ways of the world, or he'd never get away with what he was about to do.

Plopping himself down next to Anzu, Mokuba let his arm wrap around her waist in a friendly gesture of familiarity. "Sounds kind of fun. I know Seto is always telling me to play outside but I think that it's because I'm too loud in the house and he can't get any work done." Seto's jaw had just tightened noticeably and if his eyes had had laser beams, Mokuba would have been a dead man. Anzu chuckled merrily, that much sounding exactly like something that Seto would do. "Seto? Why don't you sit down and join us instead of standing there. That must be highly uncomfortable." Mokuba couldn't resist the teasing sound of his voice and knew he was going to pay for it later but if it got Seto closer to Anzu…

With a silent growl, Seto did as Mokuba requested although the young one was going to pay later for what he'd done. Mokuba wasn't usually in the habit of embarrassing his older brother but he'd come close to crossing the line. At least it was just Anzu he was mentioning it to and none of her other friends were around, like Jounouchi.

"So, why are you two here in the park today?" Anzu asked shyly, trying to keep her voice and face calm and cool. It was difficult with Seto sitting less than two feet away from her. All she had to do was stretch out her legs a little bit more and she would be able to touch his legs as well. The thrill that sent through her was unbelievable.

"Well, you see Anzu, my brother was upset with me yesterday because I helped him…" Mokuba started, his eyes round and innocent as he turned to look at Anzu and explain the whole sad story.

"We haven't been spending a lot of time together recently, so I brought him here today for some ice cream." Seto interrupted. He knew exactly where Mokuba had been going with his story and he was not about to let Anzu know that his own little brother had helped him to learn how to dance by pretending to **be** her. That story was _never_ going to see the light of day.

"That was very nice of you, Seto," Anzu replied, nerving herself up to look him straight in the eyes. She was a little bewildered by his interruption of Mokuba's explanation but the curve of his smile and the light dancing in his blue eyes made her forestall any questioning of that matter.

"Well, all work and no play makes me a dull boy," Seto said before regretting it. What a stupid thing to say. Anzu surely thought he was an idiot by now if she hadn't figured it out already. Being this close to her was having dangerous effects on him, like the ability to speak coherently. He shouldn't have worried about what she thought since she giggled most attractively. He decided that he liked her laugh.

"That's true. And that's why I can't wait for the ball on Friday. We're going to have a good time, I think." That must have been the right thing to say to him since he looked relieved and reassured at her words.

"Speaking of the ball on Friday," Mokuba began. Now was the perfect time to initiate his plan.

"Oh, are you going too, Mokuba?" Anzu asked. It hadn't occurred to her that the younger Kaiba may be joining them as well. So much for dancing under the moonlight as her dream this morning had suggested.

"Well, someone has to keep Leon company. He's not nearly as arrogant or obnoxious as his older brother is. And it might as well be me since Seto has… other plans… in mind for that night." Mokuba couldn't hide the twinkle in his eye as Seto blushed for the second time in three minutes. It shouldn't have been this easy to goad his brother on but Mokuba couldn't help himself. Watching Seto turn red as he looked away from Anzu was too much fun. "Since we're talking about the ball anyways, I have a question. Anzu? You know how to dance, right?"

"Yes, Mokuba, I know how to dance. Why do you ask?" Anzu wondered what was behind the odd question. Of course she knew how to dance. She'd been doing it since the age of five and Mokuba already knew that. They'd had a while to talk to each other when they were locked up in that warehouse together a while back before she'd helped him to escape.

Seto knew exactly where Mokuba's question was leading but he was powerless to stop it. He wasn't even sure whether he **wanted** to stop what was about to happen. Instead, he just calmly sat back and watched as Mokuba took over the conversation with Anzu. It wouldn't be fair to the younger brother to interrupt him, it would be the height of bad manners, almost as rude as not saying hello to Anzu when they'd spotted her moments earlier.

"Well, I was wondering if you could show me how to do it. I'm not really that graceful, not nearly as elegant a dancer as my brother is. Maybe the two of you together could help me, you know, just in case there are some cute girls my age there." Mokuba stopped just short of the puppy dog eyes he always used on Seto. Those were reserved for desperate moments, and this wasn't one of them. He just played his 'I'm so innocent and adorable, you just **have** to help me' look.

Seto hadn't decided whether he wanted to strangle or hug Mokuba for his idea. One look at Anzu, though, and he had to say that the hug was probably the more appropriate of the two choices. Her smile was dazzling as she reached over to ruffle Mokuba's wild tangle of black hair.

"Of course, Mokuba, I'd be glad to help you. When did you want to meet?" Had the two of them planned this whole idea from the beginning? Or was it just luck that Mokuba wanted her to come and spend time with him **and** his hot older brother? She would probably never find out the answer but that didn't really matter to her in the slightest. It would be more time she got to share with Seto, get to know him a little better. Maybe even tell him of her feelings for him. There was some sort of attraction between them. That she was definitely sure of, the blushes in the last few minutes being the biggest indicator. The way his eyes watched her every move wasn't a bad sign either.

"How about tomorrow afternoon, around two o'clock? Is that okay with you?"

"Sure, Mokuba, it's a date."

Seto couldn't have been happier.

* * *

Whew, that took some work to get everything just right. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I apologize for it taking so long to finish. I had some issues to deal with, social life notwithstanding, and I couldn't find the time until this weekend to really sit down and finish this chapter.

Thanks so much for everyone who reads and/or reviews this chapter. All constructive criticism is greatly appreciated and all flames will still be used to start the fire pit in my backyard.

Thanks for your patience,

Aphrael21;)


	16. Just a Bit of Magic

**Chapter 14 – Just a Bit of Magic**

Welcome to another fabulous chapter in my amusing little tale. I hope that you've enjoyed the journey so far.

Now, on to the story. Enjoy.

* * *

Miyu heard the front door open and hurriedly dried her hands on a nearby blue dishtowel. With Anzu out of the house for the afternoon, it had been a quiet lunch for one. It had been over a week since she'd seen her husband last and now was not the time to dawdle. 'Well, maybe just for a moment,' she thought, running a quick hand through her hair and giving a downward pull to the light sweater she wore.

"Miyu? Are you home?"

The words seemed to echo more loudly than usual. The house was hardly ever this quiet. Anzu's friends were usually over, raiding the refrigerator and taking over control of the TV. He didn't usually mind though, unless there was a football game on. It was nice to hear their teenage banter and watch their crazy antics – it reminded him so much of his own high school days. He and Miyu had tried for more children after Anzu was born but to no avail. The doctors had warned them that Anzu was their miracle child – no one had expected Miyu to carry her to term since it had been classed as high risk.

"Miyu?"

She heard the quiet desperation in his voice and decided she'd dawdled enough with her hair in the kitchen. It **had** been over a week since he'd seen any of his family. "In the kitchen, dear."

A small sigh of relief passed his lips as he slipped his shoes off and headed towards the sound of his wife's voice. "Why did it take you so long to answer me?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close. She smelled so good, like sunshine, cookies and spring all at the same time.

"Well, I wanted to make sure I was a little bit more presentable. It's been over a week since you've seen me."

"You could have been covered in dirt and muck, with wild, crazy hair and I still would have been just as happy to see you. It's been too long. Remind to never, ever go away for so long without you again." Miyu didn't have time to answer him as his lips found hers and she lost herself in the moment.

"Now, before I forget my manners completely and ravish you in the middle of the kitchen, where's Anzu?"

"Kouhei, it's Saturday afternoon. Where do you think she is?" Miyu nuzzled his ear gently and liked the growl she heard come from deep in his throat. The idea of being ravished in the kitchen was appealing to her and with Anzu out with her book for company…

"Then we **are** alone in the house. Maybe I should go get her from the park…?" Teasing Miyu was about to become a favourite pastime if she continued to hold onto him so possessively.

"Mmm, I don't think so, Mazaki-san. Her friends have probably found her by now, one in particular. He called, twice, to make sure she was going to be at the park."

"Oh really? Who was it? It wasn't Jounouchi, was it? You know he has a bad habit of teasing her." Kouhei sighed as her fingers found that little sensitive spot on the back of his neck and began to massage it slowly.

"No, it wasn't Jounouchi. She's quite capable of taking care of **him** if he does tease her. It was Yugi, although the second time, his voice was much deeper and more mature. Maybe it has something to do with Anzu's date on Friday." Kouhei pulled back for a moment and eyed his wife suspiciously. She couldn't be serious, could she?

"Anzu… has a… **date** on Friday?" His little girl was going out with a … boy… on Friday. She was growing up fast. Way too fast, in his opinion.

"Yes, didn't I tell you? She and Kaiba Seto are going to a formal ball for one of his competitors."

Kouhei whistled. The richest young man in town was interested in his daughter, his princess. "Miyu, I need to sit down. This is too much to handle."

Miyu smiled as she led her husband to a chair at the kitchen table and pulled it out for him before he fell on the floor in a dead faint. He was right – it was a lot for him to handle. Anzu was his little angel, his baby girl. When she was little, she used to follow him around relentlessly to try and 'be like daddy'. She'd even gone to the point of walking around the backyard half naked in the summer just to be more like her father. He'd do anything for her but to realize that she wasn't six years old anymore and that ice cream wouldn't cure everything…

"It's okay, dear. You can ravish me later." She hugged his head to her chest and chuckled to herself. She'd handled the whole thing much better than he had. Then again, she was the one with 'woman's intuition'.

* * *

'_Should we make our move now, Pharaoh?'_ Yugi asked, straining as high as he dared to peer at the meeting happening under the tree just ahead. Intruding at this delicate juncture might hinder any progress that Kaiba had made with Anzu, even with Mokuba there, and from the way he was smiling, **something** had happened. There was definitely going to be a phone call to Anzu later to find out all of the juicy details. He was the only one she could really talk to about it since he was the only one that she knew that knew about what was happening. No need to let her know exactly who else knew what was going on or how much they knew. That would spoil the surprises he and the Pharaoh had in store for her. Tuesday was going to be so much fun.

'_In a moment, Yugi. Let them squirm in shyness for a little longer. Seeing Kaiba behave this way gives me some small measure of satisfaction.'_ Yugi couldn't help but grin at the naughty smirk on his dark half's lips. Enjoying such jocularity had come rarely over the last few years of fighting off madmen bent on world domination and/or destruction. A few more minutes of tortured silence from Kaiba wouldn't really hurt anyone at all.

'_It is kind of refreshing to see him speechless for a change. Wonder how she managed that one?'_ Yugi pondered for a moment. Any other time Anzu and Kaiba had been so close, words had been exchanged and tempers had flared. Not this time. Now they were both quiet, almost silent, after their initial greetings and chitchat and Mokuba seemed to be doing all of the talking.

'_The ways of women are not for us men to understand. They remain just as mysterious and wonderful even in this era of time.'_ Yami looked back at the threesome sitting so comfortably on Anzu's blanket and felt a small stab of envy in his gut. Seeing them together made him miss his own wives from so long ago. He missed their companionship and laughter, their jokes and tears – everything that he'd learned to love about them.

'_It's okay, Pharaoh, we'll all help you find out what went on in your past. Missing them is normal, especially since you don't know what happened to them and you've only got scattered memories of them, too.'_ Yugi wished he could offer something more in the way of sympathizing but there was nothing more to be done. The Pharaoh had been locked away for 5,000 years and the only way to find out what happened in his past was to find the keys to unlocking his memories.

'_I know, Yugi, and thank you for all of your help already. But on to the matter at hand. Now is not the time to be maudlin about my lost past. Now is the time to focus on uniting Kaiba and Anzu. Once that is accomplished, then we can find something else to keep us occupied. I'm sure someone will try to take over the world again shortly,'_ Yami replied, a playful smile lighting his face and lifting the cloud of grey that had befallen him for a few moments.

'_All right, so what's the plan?' _Maybe it was a good idea to keep the Pharaoh's mind occupied with other things.

'_The plan is this…'_ The next few moments were spent discussing in detail how they would intercept their friends under the tree.

Once it was done, Yugi sighed and was glad that the Pharaoh was on their side. He had a knack for mischief-making that would put the greatest prankster to shame.

* * *

"Are you okay?"

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Do you need a band-aid? Some aspirin, maybe?"

"Wow, you scream like a girl. It was amazing!"

"You're so cute, can I have your phone number?"

Honda barely had time to assimilate what was happening before many hands had helped him up and dusted him off, some a little less innocently than others. The barrage of questions hadn't ceased and he didn't know which one to answer first or who had even asked what question. Jounouchi had already been spirited away, presumably by Natsumi, to a safer distance, away from all of the new 'competition' that had arrived. That was totally fine with Honda. Natsumi could have Jounouchi – it just left all the rest of the girls for him.

"I… I'm fine, I think." With a shake of his head, he looked over and saw Jounouchi, with Natsumi, sitting by the fountain a few feet away. And from the look on his face, he really didn't want to leave anytime soon. Natsumi was busy making sure that he was okay, checking his pulse and temperature and basically making Jounouchi feel like the most important man in the world.

"Are you sure? That was a pretty bad fall you took."

"Maybe you should sit down. I'll get you something cold to drink."

"Let me check you over. I'm a registered nurse at Domino General."

Honda was ready to weep with joy over the notice he was getting from the general female population of Domino Park. He'd been feeling neglected before when Jounouchi had been 'James Bond', all suave and charming, and now **he** was the complete and utter centre of attention. There was only one problem…

He didn't know who to pay attention to first –the girls or Jounouchi.

The girls themselves didn't seem to mind his hesitation. They put it down to the nasty bump on the back of his head. He clearly wasn't in a proper state of mind so they had to take control and make sure he was okay. Two grabbed his hands and led him to the benches near the small water fountain where his other friend was already sitting. Another dug through her purse and went off in search of an ice cold drink for the poor boy. A fourth girl pulled his hand onto her lap and proceeded to check his pulse to make sure he was still alive. All of his vital signs seemed normal. The only thing she couldn't figure out was why his pulse was racing as fast as it was.

"Hey, Honda, how are you feeling? I think my head's going to explode shortly," Jounouchi said before Natsumi took the hint and gently ran her fingers through his hair, looking for any sign of anything wrong.

"I'm fine. I just really want something to eat. I still want to go to Burger World for a triple with the works and maybe some onion rings." Honda replied, hoping against hope that Jounouchi didn't remember what day it was. Anzu was usually in the park for a good three hours every Saturday afternoon and with Kaiba and Mokuba thrown into the mix, there was no telling what kind of reaction there might be. Best to keep him focussed on a 'safe' topic.

"You know what, Honda? That sounds like a great idea. I could go for a couple of burgers, some French fries and maybe a slice or two of pizza…" Jounouchi started to say before his voice tapered off and he stared into space for a moment. Honda gaped at him, ready to cringe in anticipation. "There's something about pizza. I can't remember what, though. I think… I was supposed to… call **someone** about catching a slice this weekend…"

The girls surrounding Honda weren't expecting him to move so quickly when he jumped up and addressed Jounouchi directly from a distance of less than six inches.

"It was **me**. You were supposed to ask **me** about going for a slice. But I don't want pizza, I want a burger and onion rings!" Damn Jounouchi, why did he have to pick today to start thinking and remembering things? The knock to his head shouldn't have been enough to jar his memory. A nuclear **explosion** wasn't enough to do it. Settling back down between his female companions, Honda groaned inwardly. Had he just blown it completely? Would his best friend start questioning him as to why he was so adamant about leaving the park? And he'd promised Yugi, and the Pharaoh, that he would keep the blonde busy for the weekend and away from Anzu.

"No, no Honda, it wasn't you. That I distinctly remember. I was talking to someone on the phone… this morning… it was early…" Jounouchi leaned back in thought and Natsumi's hands moved from his head to his shoulders. It felt good to have her rub them gently before moving on to his shoulder blades and then lower and lower…

Jounouchi completely lost his train of thought as her fingers slid further down his spine. There was something to be said for tactile experiences disturbing anything remotely resembling thought.

Honda shot her a look of gratitude and was rewarded with a tiny smile from the girl.

* * *

"So, you're sure you don't mind coming over tomorrow afternoon around 2? Really sure?" Mokuba asked, his eyes wide with feigned innocence.

Anzu thought nothing of it. She put it down to 'youthful exuberance'. "For the hundredth, and final time, no, Mokuba I don't mind coming over tomorrow afternoon around 2 to help teach you how to dance. At least one of you should know how to dance properly."

With a sidelong glance at the elder Kaiba sitting so stoically, and silently, on the blanket, she burst into giggles which the younger Kaiba quickly joined in on. Picturing Seto dancing was impossible. He was too stiff and stuffy to resort to something he probably considered beneath him. He probably considered it a useless waste of time – there was no business edge to be gained by knowing how to dance. It wouldn't help Kaiba Corp. in the slightest and it probably would be of no use whatsoever during a Duel Monsters tournament.

They were laughing. At **him**. No one had ever had the gall to laugh at him while he was still present. "So, you think I can't dance? Is that what you're telling me, Anzu?"

The laughter stopped immediately as two sets of eyes, one bright blue and the other grey-violet, coolly regarded him before turning to look at each other. "Did that sound like I think it sounded, Mokuba?"

"I think so, but you better tell me anyways."

"Well, it sounded like a challenge to me. What do you think it sounded like?" The corners of her lips turned up at the wide eyed stare Seto was giving her. She had taken his few words and made up her own mind as to what they sounded like. He had never implied that at all – it had been just a simple question with only two possible answers. She didn't like either of the answers, so she'd decided on a third option – to find out how much of a sense of humour Seto actually had.

"Well, it sounded more like a question to me, but I can see how you **could** take it as a challenge. The only thing is, when there's a challenge, there has to be a prize, a goal of some kind or it's pointless. What kind of prize do you think Seto had in mind, Anzu?" Mokuba liked this little game. Seto didn't stand a chance against the two of them. He and Anzu seemed to be on the same wavelength when it came to the elder Kaiba and that suited him just fine. Anything that would help them get together and bring some sort of normality to Seto's life. All he ever did was work, go to school, take care of him, duel and sleep – and not necessarily in that order. It was time Seto learned about having fun.

"I don't know, Mokuba. What kind of a prize would interest a teenage, multi-billionaire that already has everything?" Anzu asked, not daring to look at Seto for fear of breaking out in laughter again. The red was high on his cheeks already and she couldn't tell if it was from anger, embarrassment or keeping his own laughter in. Come to think of it, she'd never heard him laugh before – at least not in any way that wasn't a result of humiliating someone else. What would it sound like, she wondered.

"I have the perfect prize in mind," Seto stated, the words coming out softly and making his other two companions gawp at him. Being unpredictable had its advantages, it seemed.

"Go on, Seto. Tell us – what is your perfect prize?" Mokuba encouraged. Was Seto actually being serious or was he playing along? His brother played to win but that was always at Duel Monsters or being the best company in the world. This was a little more… personal.

"Yes, what would be perfect for someone who has it all?" Anzu asked. Now her curiosity was piqued. A glance at his face and she could see a secret smile touching the corners of his mouth and her grin widened. He was playing along but knowing him as well as she did, she figured he was playing for keeps. What could he want? The possibilities sent her daydreams spinning.

* * *

'_Now, Pharaoh?'_ Yugi asked, watching what was happening under the tree with intense scrutiny. Something interesting was going on – he could see the shining grins from here.

'_Now, Yugi. Now is the perfect time to intercept them. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves once more,'_ Yami replied. With head held high, Yugi finished crossing the bridge and slowly ambled towards the unsuspecting trio. They had all started talking again and now seemed to be focussed on Kaiba. They were waiting for something to be said or to happen.

'_Do you think he's going to be angry that we've shown up here this afternoon?'_ Yugi couldn't help but ask that question. Having Kaiba as a friend would be useful but having him as an enemy was unthinkable.

'_After what we're planning on doing? I don't think so. He'll be getting just what he wants.'_

* * *

"Pizza, there was something about pizza," he muttered softly. Natsumi's hands still worked on his shoulders but their magic touch had lulled him to a state that actually assisted his thinking processes. Jounouchi couldn't help but remember talking to someone about pizza. It had been quite recently too. If it hadn't been, it would have slipped his mind completely by now. Whom had he been talking to today? Honda had been first, informing him of the schedule for pick up to go to the mall and meet the models. They had both been outside the doors when a sudden question had popped into his mind about Friday after school and he'd called… "Anzu!"

Natsumi was so startled by his outburst that she jumped up and away from Jounouchi, almost falling over herself. "Who's **Anzu**?"

Honda didn't miss either mention of their best friends' name – Jounouchi's in exuberance and Natsumi's in surprise. The two girls left surrounding Honda, the first a young nurse from Domino General and the second the one who'd bought him a drink, turned to Natsumi and gave her a small apologetic smile. Maybe the guy she'd spent all of her time focussing on was actually interested in this 'Anzu' girl he'd mentioned. **They** only had to compete with each other for Honda's attention, now that they had 'scared off' the other two, as far as they knew. Unless, maybe **he** wasn't as single as they thought he was either and would end up in the same boat as Natsumi…

Honda had to think fast, before Jounouchi managed to remember what da…

"Hey, it's Saturday, right? That means she's in the park right now. We should go over and get her to come with us to Burger World for some pizza!" Jounouchi exclaimed. And there it was – evidence of Jounouchi's thinking. Why did he always pick the most inopportune moments to have such a good memory?

"But, Jounouchi, you know she hates to be bothered when she's reading. This is her 'me' time, away from all of us 'disgusting, slobbering, ill-mannered brutes' as she's referred to us before. Do you really want to make her angry?" Honda replied. He was grasping at straws now. So focussed was he on distracting Jounouchi that he hadn't even noticed that the two girls around him had melted away, to another vicinity in the park. They weren't taking any chances on having their hearts prematurely broken.

"Who's Anzu?" Natsumi asked again, not sounding as frustrated as she should have been considering they were talking about another girl.

"Nonsense. I'll just tell her that I'm buying the ice cream for starters and she'll follow me anywhere for some _Double Chocolate Fudge Peanut Butter Crackle_," Jounouchi explained. An evil grin lit his features. "Besides, if she does get angry, I'll just tell her it was all **your** idea."

Honda's heart quailed. Anzu was one girl he never wanted to be on the wrong side of. Her tongue was sharp enough to slice through his fragile ego in seconds. Kaiba Seto was the only one who could piss her off, draw tears and walk away unscathed, the unemotional bastard that he was. Why Yugi was helping to set them up together was beyond him. "She'll know it wasn't my idea. She knows I'm terrified of her. Anzu could break me in half with a single spin kick."

"For a tough guy, you're such a wimp, Honda. C'mon, let's go get her. I'm starved now," Jounouchi said, grabbing a good grip on Honda's arm and hauling him towards the tree where Anzu always sat. Turning around, Honda managed a small, apologetic smile at Natsumi. She shrugged her shoulders and gave him a good bye wave.

No need to tell either of the two boys about the meeting she'd had earlier with a teenager named Yugi who'd asked her to serve as a distraction just in case his two friends had shown up. Why this Yugi kid had needed the distraction, she hadn't bothered to ask – she'd been paid well for her time and trouble on just the whim of a possibility. And it hadn't been any trouble at all. She just hoped she'd stalled them long enough.

* * *

"So, what is it, Seto? What could you possibly want that you don't already have?" Mokuba prodded. Seto was being awfully quiet but his eyes sparkled in barely contained mirth. That look meant trouble – he'd seen that look often enough before and for once, Seto wasn't directing it at him. This was going to be good, whatever it was.

Just as Seto was about to answer their questions and prove he could take a joke, a strange feeling came over him and he turned to look around behind him.

Yugi.

What was he doing here? Yugi hadn't mentioned he was going to be coming by when he'd called earlier to tell Seto where Anzu would be for the afternoon. Was Yugi actually checking up on him?

"Yugi."

"What? You want **Yugi** as your prize?" Mokuba exclaimed. That was an odd answer to give unless it had something to do with a rematch between the two rivals. And from what Yugi had told him of the first deal they'd sealed, that was next to impossible now.

"No, Mokuba. Yugi's here. Why would I want **him** as my prize?" Seto explained, his eyes lingering on Anzu's. She could blush in the most beautiful shades of red, he thought. With a start and a small cough, she and Mokuba turned slightly as well and saw that Seto was right. Yugi was heading towards them, an exuberant smile on his lips and a strange glow lighting his eyes. This was going to become the most popular spot in the park shortly. All they needed were Jounouchi and Honda showing up and the whole gang would be there.

"Hey, Yugi. What's up?" Anzu asked brightly, shifting her attention to her best friend. She hadn't figured on him showing up this afternoon and finding her hanging out with the Kaiba brothers. That hadn't been intentional at all – it had just **happened**. Funny how coincidental some things were becoming, she thought. For now, she had to concentrate on behaving normally and not letting it slip too much to Yugi how she felt about Seto. He knew snippets of her run-ins with Kaiba but she'd kept them dry and void of any emotional detail. No need to tell him every little facet of **that** little secret.

"Nothing much. I wanted some ice cream and figured that I'd come to the park to get some since it's such a beautiful day," Yugi replied, knowing the reason was innocent enough sounding that Anzu wouldn't get suspicious. The Pharaoh agreed wholeheartedly since there would probably be some iced cream in the very near future for him to try.

"Hey, Seto. You said I could have some ice cream too. Can Yugi and I go get some from the ice cream lady? I promise we'll bring some back for you and Anzu," Mokuba said, picking up on exactly what Yugi's intentions were without him having to say or do anything. Some 'alone time' with the girl of his dreams was just what Seto needed.

Anzu's heart beat faster at the thought of being left alone with Kaiba for a few minutes. Maybe she could finally work up enough courage to tell him how she felt or, even better, show him. Memories of that dream kiss still taunted her and she wanted to find out if fantasy was better than reality or vice versa. "Well, if you are going, you know what flavour I like, right Yugi?"

"_Double Chocolate Fudge Peanut Butter Crackle_ – one scoop or two?" Yugi asked, staying as innocent as he could when he saw the look Kaiba threw his way. His reasons for being at the park were totally truthful but he had called the elder Kaiba to inform him of Anzu's whereabouts. What Yugi hadn't expected was Kaiba bringing Mokuba along for the ride. That was just the cherry on the sundae then. The two of them would be able to discuss in detail what was going on without anyone being the wiser. They would be together legitimately.

"All right, Mokuba. Ice cream sundaes all around. And remember, don't talk to strangers," Seto warned as he pulled out his wallet and forked over some money to his younger brother. This almost had the feel of a setup but Mokuba had seemed genuinely surprised when Yugi had appeared from over the bridge. And now, he was about to be left alone with Anzu. Alone. No one around. None of her geeky friends and especially not his little brother. They could continue their conversation and Seto could explain exactly what he wanted from her when he proved that he could, in all actuality, dance.

"I won't talk to strangers but when I come back I want to find out exactly what you want as your prize," Mokuba replied as he got up and headed towards Yugi's waiting form.

"Prize? What are you talking about, Mokuba?" Yugi asked. Something told him he and Mokuba's conversation was about to get more interesting than he'd ever imagined. It had nothing whatsoever to do with the mischievous gleam in the younger Kaiba's eyes at all.

"I'll explain as we're walking. See you in a bit, guys." With a brilliant grin and a wild wave, Mokuba and Yugi started on their way towards the ice cream lady at the other end of the small lake.

They didn't even realize that they were on a direct interception course with two other friends.

* * *

"C'mon, Honda, hurry up! My stomach's about to declare war on the rest of me," Jounouchi exclaimed, still dragging a reluctant Honda along. Why was he being such dead weight? Normally, Honda was right beside him when it came to food – like the other day when they'd planned on interrogating Jii-chan… Was this something to do with that crazy phone call Yugi asked him to make to Anzu Friday afternoon? He had a sneaking suspicion that it did…

"Jou…nouchi… slow down, man. I… can't keep… up," Honda wheezed, his lungs and muscles working serious overtime to keep him upright. This much physical activity didn't come naturally to him. Even when they were busy saving the world, it usually involved standing around and watching from the sidelines as Yugi or the Pharaoh duelled the crazy madmen. **Watching**, not running behind his psycho best friend and hopelessly hoping he'd take a nosedive into a lip-stand on the sidewalk.

"No way, Honda. We're not stopping til we get to Anzu." 'And find out what's going on,' he thought to himself. Honda was acting way too weird, even for him, and Yugi had been incommunicado for almost twenty-four hours. Anzu would have some answers for him if he could figure out how to get her to answer him without…

_rumblerumblerumble_

Jounouchi had no choice but to stop and grab his stomach as it rumbled again. It had been too long since he'd put anything substantial into it. Now it was craving something with lots of meat and cheese on it. With tomato sauce, onions and maybe hot peppers of some kind. Mmm, yummy, especially with a huge pitcher of grape soda mixed with root beer. Now, that would hit the spot. He needed to find Anzu.

Honda managed to disentangle himself from Jounouchi's hand and stood back, gasping for desperately needed air, as he contemplated what had made him stop so suddenly in the first place. Jounouchi's one track mind was usually unstoppable and Anzu had been the one thing on his mind. What had changed?

"Need… food…" Jounouchi mumbled, "Didn't have… breakfast. Stomach… declared war."

Ahh, that was it. Thinking about Anzu couldn't compete with his need for sustenance, it seemed. "Hey, Jounouchi, there's that hot dog stand we passed on our mad dash. Wanna get a snack before we go for pizza?" Anything to keep him stalled and away from Anzu. Knowing Mokuba, he and Kaiba had stopped to talk to Anzu. Mokuba was never one to pass up an opportunity to talk to her. They seemed to share a special bond. Probably had something to do with being kidnapped and help hostage during Battle City.

"Hot dogs? That'll do for now. I can even put ketchup, onions and hot peppers on it. Cheese sauce and chilli, too. That'll tide me over til we get our butts over to Burger World." Jounouchi could almost taste the meaty goodness of the hot dog as the two of them did a 180 degree turnabout and headed back to the hot dog stand. Now, Honda was right beside him.

"You really like dragon breath, don't you?"

"Kills anything within a hundred paces. Even Kaiba would wilt under its awesome force," Jounouchi replied, glee written on his face. That would be one way to defeat Kaiba in duel – breathe on him.

"Hey, why are you talking about my big brother like that?" a new voice asked from somewhere behind them. With a startled glance, Jounouchi looked backwards while trotting towards the stand to see who had just piped up. It could only have been one person but it was force of habit. Too bad he didn't see the lamp post in the middle of the walkway.

**_BANG_**!

"OW!"

Twice in one day Jounouchi managed to hit his head on something hard. Peals and howls of laughter erupted around him as he collapsed to the pavement and tried to blink away the green and yellow stars dancing before his eyes.

"Jounouchi? Are you okay, buddy?" Honda asked, waving a hand in front of blank-seeing eyes. "See? That's what happens when you're in a hurry. You should pay more attention to where your feet are going than to what's going on behind you."

"Are you okay, Jounouchi?" Yugi and Mokuba asked simultaneously as they joined the other two friends, one of whom was holding a hand to his aching head. That would be a nasty goose egg and hurt like the dickens in the morning.

"I'm fine. I've taken worse falling down the stairs."

"You've taken worse hitting your head on the desk during Social Studies," Honda retorted.

"What are you two running for, anyways?" Yugi asked, hoping to find out exactly why they were in the park right now. Things with Anzu and Kaiba were proceeding quite smoothly according to Mokuba and a little private time would do them some good.

"We're going to get some hot dogs to feed Jounouchi's bottomless pit of a stomach," Honda replied, shooting a look at Yugi that apologized for not keeping him occupied for the weekend as planned. Yugi shrugged his shoulders, it wasn't easy keeping their blonde friend busy. Two things were always foremost in his mind – food and girls. That was why he and the Pharaoh had planted Natsumi near the entrance and paid her to keep an eye out for the two of them just on the off chance that Honda had problems. In his eyes, it was money well spent if it had helped to keep Jounouchi away from Anzu and Kaiba. It wasn't quite the right time to inform him of the real situation.

"That's all fine and dandy but why were you talking about wilting my brother?" Mokuba asked.

"Ahh, that was just us discussing the finer uses of dragon breath," Jounouchi replied, tousling Mokuba's hair affectionately. "You know I just **love** your brother to pieces, right?"

"Yeah, about as much as I love spiders," was the reply as the younger Kaiba fixed his hair. Why were people always doing that to him? He wasn't a little kid anymore. He'd be thirteen in four months, a teenager with all the rights and privileges associated with it. Driving his brother crazy was the top of that list (not that he didn't already), followed closely by dating.

"Ooo someone's starting to sound like his older brother. Better watch out or you'll become a social outcast, too," Jounouchi answered, enjoying the little game he was playing with Mokuba. It was easier to pick on the younger brother than the older one.

"Haha, very funny, dog boy." Mokuba countered and scooted behind Yugi as Jounouchi lunged for him, muttering something about no genetic difference. That surprised Mokuba – he didn't know that Jounouchi would know as big as word as genetic.

"Knock it off, you two. Jounouchi, let's just go get some hot dogs and leave the poor kid alone. It's hard for him to have a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent," Honda said, turning towards the hot dog cart and hoping that Jounouchi would have enough sense to follow him. Jounouchi didn't pay any attention to the snickers behind his back as he turned to follow Honda.

"Hot dogs sound good to me, too," Yugi said, responding to a silent request from his darker half. The smallest things Yugi took for granted…

"Then we'll go get some ice cream," Mokuba interjected, "Have to bring some back for…"

"What was that, Mokuba? Didn't quite catch that last little bit," Jounouchi asked. Something was niggling at the back of his mind again but he couldn't remember what it was.

"N…nothing. Just… nothing," Mokuba replied while Yugi and Honda looked on worriedly. He'd almost let it slip that his brother was in the park. That would have, somehow, triggered Jounouchi's memory and brought him around to the idea of finding Anzu again. Anything to stall for a few more precious minutes of alone time for Anzu and Kaiba.

"Hey, that wasn't **funny**, Honda!"

Outright laughter floated on the breeze. Jounouchi had a mind like a steel trap – rusted shut.

* * *

"So."

"So, what?"

"So… what would be the perfect prize for someone who has everything? You still haven't answered that question," Anzu stated, her curiosity about to get the better of her. The fact that she was alone with him still hadn't quite registered in her head. She was too busy wondering what he could possibly want.

"My perfect prize? Are you sure you want to know?" Seto taunted. Her eyes glowed so beautifully when she was blocked from getting what she wanted.

"Of course I'm sure, I've only asked you two or three times by now and you still haven't bothered to grace me with an answer," Anzu countered.

"Maybe because you couldn't handle the answer," Seto teased, watching the colour on her cheeks rise. Goading her was about to become a favourite pastime if she kept growling like that. It was kind of sexy – like just about everything else about her.

Was it possible to melt into a puddle at the sound of a whiskey drawl? "I can handle whatever you want to give me, Seto," Anzu purred, giving him her most innocent expression. The early spring sunshine must have affected her somehow to speak so to him. They barely knew each other and here she was, **flirting** with him. That was just asking for trouble but what's done was done now.

Had she any idea what she was doing to him? All he wanted to do was grab a hold of her and… no, now was not the time to daydream about 'mights' and 'maybes'. "All right, but don't say I didn't warn you," he replied, leaning in more closely to her. "Are you positive you want to go through with this little challenge of yours? Remember, I play for keeps."

"Definitely. Prove me wrong if you think you can, but tell me what you want for doing so," Anzu answered, bending closer as well, to better hear what he had to say and to smell that wonderful, musky cologne he was wearing.

"What I want is simple. If I prove to you that I can dance," Seto started, watching her unconsciously move towards him and praying he could keep his mind on the matter at hand, "I want a home cooked, Western meal, one prepared completely by your own two hands from start to finish."

He leaned back then and rested his hands on the blanket behind him, letting her digest what he'd just told her. From the smile on her lips, he judged that what he wanted wasn't as difficult as she'd imagined. Good. He was going to have to make sure that he won the challenge.

"You want me to cook you a Western dinner from scratch? That's what you want if I lose tomorrow's dance challenge?"

"Not **if** you lose – **when** you lose." How she wanted to wipe that smirk off his face, preferably with her lips. He was too sexy for his own good. She needed to stay calm and focussed. No more flirting or daydreaming. Dancing was serious business and she meant to win that little challenge.

"Perfect. I'll expect the same from you when I win tomorrow." Either way, someone was making someone else dinner and that could almost count as a real 'date'. His stomach fluttered at the thought.

"Then it's a deal," Seto replied, holding his hand out towards her in the ancient gesture. She grasped it in her own. "Deal."

And so their fates were sealed together.

* * *

The half moon hung low and white in the early evening sky, its pale light casting deep shadows on everything it touched. The Kame Game Shop was closed to the public at this time and its owner was already asleep in front of the TV in the small living room tucked away in a back corner. The one other (debatable of course since a Spirit inhabited his body) individual that also lived in the store/house, however, was miles away from sleeping. Twelve white candles formed a circle around Yami's sitting form, their flames flickering in the light, warm breeze filtering through the open window of Yugi's bedroom upstairs. He sat motionless for a moment, centering his energies, before letting out a deep sigh of satisfaction. It was just as he remembered it. Subtle tendrils of power surrounded him and all he needed to do was recite a simple spell for his plan to take effect.

'_Are you sure we should be doing this, Pharaoh?'_ Yugi's worried form floated just beyond the circle of light created by the candles. Yami could see the lines of anxiousness etched into his light's forehead.

'_I have explained it to you before, Yugi. This is a simple spell that I remember using in my time. Mahaado, the Dark Magician himself, taught me this spell. There is **no** Shadow Magic involved in this at all,' _Yami replied, his voice catching an edge of impatience. Twice before he'd already gone through it with Yugi, the first time involving self-experimentation. He could understand the apprehension and hesitance of his aibou in using magic. It wasn't **that** long ago that the Spirit himself had stopped using his 'Mind Crush' to impede ruthless and unscrupulous individuals. But what he stated was the absolute truth. The spell he was about to use had nothing to do with Shadow Magic. It couldn't. There was no penalty game to be played, no 'bad guy' to be eliminated.

'_I know. It's just that I really don't want anyone to be harmed by this spell you want to cast. It's not going to harm him, is it?'_

'_Of course not, Yugi. All it will do is provide him with a deeper, more restful sleep. And remember Yugi, we did tell him to ensure that Anzu had a fun time at this ball. This will help to relax him before he must meet with her tomorrow and win the challenge. Isn't that a good idea?' _Yami could still sense Yugi's reluctance about doing something like this to someone else. He needed to find a way to make it okay with his other self. And he just did.

'_Well, yeah, it is…'_ Yugi could sense what the Spirit was up to. It was difficult to hide anything from each other. Their mind link was very strong and very sensitive to subtle changes. He could feel his defences being slowly torn apart. It wasn't that he didn't want to keep his promise, he just wanted to make sure that everything went well, that no one was hurt.

'_Surely you would want to help him with something like that. That is a very big job for him to handle alone.'_ The defences were down completely. Yami almost smirked in triumph from his seat on the floor.

'_Well, yeah, that would be a good idea…'_ The Pharaoh was right. Helping him accomplish that task would help Anzu out as well. She **was** the reason they were doing all of this.

'_And didn't I show you how the spell worked earlier this afternoon, when we had a 'nap'?'_ Yami was pressing the issue hard. Without Yugi's sincere agreement to this idea, Yami would not do it on his own. The spell he'd cast on them earlier in the day had been very vivid. So vivid that it had almost been real. Recalling Yugi's worn smile afterwards, it had been well worth the small effort the spell had required.

'_Well, yeah…'_ Yugi shifted a little uncomfortably as his memories were stirred. The spell had been more real than he'd imagined it could have been. He would never look at Isis the same way ever again, although he suspected that Yami had had some hand in choosing her over anyone else as well.

'_Then why are you so hesitant about the use of this spell? It didn't harm either of us, did it?'_ Yugi gave him a small, naughty smile and the Pharaoh knew his victory over Yugi's objections was close at hand.

'_No, it didn't hurt us, just the opposite I guess, but then it would make him look at Anzu like, you know…'_

'_Yugi, he **already** sees her as such. He is a boy, after all, no matter how hard he tries to deny it. This will make the attraction just that much stronger. And we already know that she sees him **that** way as well. She's given us enough hints in what she hasn't told us. Besides, there is a magnetism between those two that is undeniable. You saw that this afternoon at the park. We are only helping their bond become that much deeper.'_

'_Then go ahead. I'll just stay back here and pray that it works out okay.'_ His voice had changed from worried to teasing and the Spirit knew that everything was all right between them. Yugi was allowed to be hesitant about something like this even though Yami had already promised earlier that he would never, ever do anything to harm his friends. In fact, if it hadn't been for his Shadow magic a long time ago, Kaiba may not have turned out to be so pleasant after all.

'_Thanks for the vote of confidence, Yugi.'_ Yami threw a smile in Yugi's general direction before he settled himself back down to concentrate. It wasn't a difficult spell but neither did he want to get it wrong. It was mostly cadence and rhythm and he needed a clear head for that. _'Very well, then. I shall begin.'_

'_**Rakefet Akhet Rakefet Bakhu Rakefet Manu…'**_

The words sounded harsh to Yugi's untrained ears but the Pharaoh's voice softened upon each repetition of the discordant words til they were barely above a whisper. Then something strange happened. The flickering flames of the candles slowly died down, became dimmer and dimmer as Yami's deeply melodic voice continued the hypnotic tempo of the words. Yami was cast into deep shadows as the remaining sparks of fire left their wicks to twirl harmoniously above his head. With a nod and a wave of his hand, Yami gathered the sparkles between his fingers and watched them for a second, a secret smile lighting his eyes, before he threw them out the open window into the night air.

Both boys went to the window and watched their handiwork disappear across the city in a twinkle and a flash.

And so the spelling of Kaiba Seto began…

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I would also like to take this time to apologize for the long, very long, wait for this chapter to come out. I hit a bit of writer's block before I realized what had happened – the story at the park was not finished yet. Thanks, Starian Princess, for mentioning that in your review. It's what finally got me started again!

As always, I am

Aphrael21


	17. Dreams and Breakfasts

**Chapter 15 – Dreams and Breakfasts**

Here it is. Another semi-long chapter. I had to do it though. I'm stopping at the lead up to the dance contest. Don't worry, it shouldn't be too long for that chapter (I'm praying it's not another two months to get it out). And I promise, it's really, really long.

Enjoy!

* * *

Seto sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Trying to finish monotonous paperwork when thoughts of blue eyes kept intruding was next to impossible. The contract on the screen before him was blurry and he doubted it would do him any good to try and finish it tonight. It wasn't as if the company wouldn't mind waiting a few extra days to sign a multi-million dollar deal with Kaiba Corp. 

With a few practiced clicks, he shut the computer down and pushed the chair away from the desk. Turning around, he faced the massive window behind him and stared out at the night sky covering Domino City. It seemed peaceful enough outdoors with the moon hanging low in the sky yet. Stars twinkled and reminded him of her eyes once more. But instead of pushing those thoughts away, he embraced them, let them take him where they would for a change.

Seto hadn't even seen the twelve twinkles of light slip through the cracks between the windows and envelop his head in a corona of soft, swirling white before sinking through his moonlit hair and deep into his mind.

Seto didn't have a chance to see them since his eyes had closed in slumber the moment he'd turned to thoughts of her.

* * *

'_C'mon, Seto, let's dance,'_ she whispered, her voice sending delicious tingles up and down his spine. He almost hadn't heard her words for the pounding rhythm of Latin music that filled the small, smoky establishment they were in. No matter. Her body told him everything he needed to know.

And he was most happy to oblige its command.

Grasping her small, warm hand in his own, he pulled her with him onto the crowded dance floor. The presence of so many other gyrating bodies forced the two of them closer together, not that he minded in the least. He was still too attuned to the demands of the body so close to his own. The subtle smell of her perfume wafted around him and soft tendrils of hair tickled his chin as she rested her head on his chest and felt his arms wrap around her waist.

'_Are we going to dance or just stand here holding each other?'_ Her smouldering eyes, as she looked up at him, told him that their shared closeness wasn't lost on her.

'_You know what I'd rather be doing than dancing, right?'_ His hands moved suggestively up and down her spine and he felt her sigh against him. She knew how to get him to do exactly what she wanted. It had always been that way for as long as he could remember.

'_If you play your dance card right, you never know where the night will end.'_ Laughter rumbled up from his chest and he saw her answering smile. It was one of her many charms that he'd refused to see before he'd started dating her. How could he have been so blind?

'_Hmm, hopefully at my house with you beside me.'_ His hands had moved up by this point to rest on her shoulders and to play with the straps of her dress. That was the only thing separating them. A useless, maddening piece of cloth that would look so much better on the floor next to his bed.

'_Without all of these clothes between us either, I suspect.'_ He didn't even have to look at her face to know she was smirking. Her voice was almost as easy to read as her expressive blue eyes. One could so easily drown in their tranquility. It was her eyes he'd noticed originally and how they used to follow him around when they were in each other's presence. Even during duels when she'd been cheering on her best friend, he'd felt her eyes rest on him more often than not.

'_You know me too well.'_

'_I should. We've been dating for how long now? A year and a half?'_

Seto made a pretence of looking at his non-existent watch before replying, _'One year, six months and three days but who's counting?'_

'_Obviously you aren't. Now, shut up and dance with me.'_

'_Gladly. It just gives me more of an excuse to hold you closer.' _And he did.

The dancing began slowly, more of a sway to the music than anything else. Honestly, he didn't want to do much more than just hold her next to him. She looked amazing tonight. The tiny black dress with its spaghetti straps and subtle glitter had fired his imagination. Getting his attention was never a difficult task for her. Being together for so long had allowed the two of them to develop a stronger bond, something deeper than the original chemistry that had brought them together. Physical attraction was all well and good but he'd needed someone with depth and personality, someone he could talk to, not just a trophy to sit on his arm.

And there she'd been. It hadn't taken him long to figure out why she kept watching him during duels but it had taken forever to get up the nerve to ask her out. Rejection had been a high 'con' on his list of why he'd even wanted to. But the biggest 'pro' had been her eyes, her beautiful, exquisite, shining blue eyes.

'_Earth to Seto. Are you there?'_ she asked, her hand flashing in front of his eyes. Watching him blink and come back from wherever he'd been was rewarding when he smiled down at her.

'_Sorry, just lost in thought about your eyes.'_

'_Oh? And what about my eyes has you so fascinated?'_ That sultry tone of voice made him groan softly. Why had they even bothered with going out for the night? It would have been so much better if they'd just stayed home, ordered pizza and found other ways to… entertain themselves.

'_Sunlight or moonlight.'_ A gentle finger he pressed to her lips to silence the question he knew was coming. _'I was trying to decide which light I want to see your eyes by the next time I kiss you.'_

'_And what have you decided?'_ Her body pressed in a little more closely as she stood on her tiptoes to whisper her question.

'_Neither,'_ he whispered, his breath caressing the delicate outer shell of her ear. Poetry had never come easily to him before he'd met her. Somehow, she'd inspired him to become a romantic, waxing poetic at the oddest times about nothing or everything all at once. Tonight, it had been her eyes that moved him. Tonight, he would have her at his house and that maddening dress would be on the floor next to his bed if it was the last thing he ever did.

Tonight, it seemed, he could do no wrong.

'_Neither?'_ she asked, waiting for his response.

'_I prefer to see your eyes by the glow of my heart.'_ Her soft exhale of surprise quickly turned to a sigh of pleasure as he kissed her…

It hadn't been long after that they'd decided to head home. He'd promised himself that she would be beside him and he'd been true to his word. They'd snuggled contentedly in the relative privacy of the spacious interior of the limousine and his fingers had traced lazy circles across her bare shoulders. There was a comfortable silence between them. They didn't need words to express how they were feeling. This was the calm before the storm and they both knew it.

The hush was broken moments later as the limousine coasted to a stop and Isono opened the door for them to exit. Once inside the mansion, the raging storm began. She relieved him of his shirt and pants relatively quickly, somewhere in the hallway leading to his bedroom if his blurry memory served correctly. Remembering something like that hadn't been a high priority on his list of things to do. She was a handful and more when the mood struck her and tonight was no exception. Her lips left his only long enough to draw a breath of much needed air and her hands (and his) were everywhere.

With the door safely locked behind them, they were free to do as they wished, with no fear of interruption from a sleepy younger brother who should have been in bed for hours by this time.

'_Seto, I have something to tell you,'_ she whispered against his lips. Why had she chosen now to try and talk to him? Why hadn't she spoken up in the car when he hadn't been so distracted with divesting her of every scrap of clothing on her amazing body?

'_Is it important?'_ he asked, before kissing the tip of her nose.

'_Very.'_

He was in agony. There was no other way to describe it. Her seductive kisses and tantalizing caresses were slowly eroding any form of cognitive function and she chose **now** to talk to him about something important? He would have been hard pressed to find a worse situation to be in.

Stilling his hands took no small effort on his part but for her, he would do anything.

'_What is it then?'_ he asked, leaning far enough away from her so he could see her eyes. They would tell him if it was good news or bad and from the intensity of their sparkle, it was probably the former. The suspense was about to kill him.

She looked so deeply into his eyes for a moment that he feared he was about to get lost before her lips curved up into a bewitching smile. She had to have fantastic things to tell him for her to look so damned appealing. Maybe she would finally go down…

"_I can't sleep…"_ Her voice sounded a little odd but that may have had something to do with the recent lack of oxygen due to excessive amounts of kissing.

**This** was what she had to tell him? **This** was why she'd spoiled such a sexually charged atmosphere and made him hope for so much more? To tell him she couldn't sleep…

"…_because I'm too excited…"_ Odder still, her voice had risen a few octaves in pitch and sounded almost… childlike.

All right, that sounded a little more promising and hopeful for him…

"…_about Anzu coming over tomorrow!"_ Huh?

Now that was just down right confusing. Anzu was currently in his arms, her almost naked body pressed deliciously close to his own barely clothed form. How could she be excited about _herself_ coming over? What the fu…

"**Seto!** Are you listening to me or are you just pretending to be asleep?" a very familiar voice questioned.

With an audible pop, his very vivid dream about Anzu was over and all he could see was blackness. Hmm, it seemed his eyelids were still closed as he tried to recapture the details of the beginnings of a most wonderfully erotic dream…

"Seto, I'm talking to you! I can't sleep anymore. Anzu's going to be here in less than nine hours. I'm too excited!"

With a shake, Seto sat up and looked straight into the violet-grey eyes of his younger brother kneeling beside him on the bed.

"Mokuba?" It was difficult to pronounce that one word when his mouth was still full of the taste of her lips. Flopping back, he was horizontal on his bed again and an image of smouldering blue eyes flashed before him. He just wanted to go back to sleep and dream, finishing what he'd started to do with Anzu… It had all been so real, like she'd been right there beside him all along…

"Seto!" The exasperation was clear. "I. Can't. **Sleep**!"

A single thought somehow managed to pierce through the fog of sleepy arousal he was lost in. His bed. He was **in** it. How had that happened? The last thing he remembered doing was shutting down the computer in his office down the hall and turning to face the grounds behind the mansion.

"Seto! Are you even listening to me?!" Exasperation had been upped to severe annoyance.

"Go back to bed, Mokuba," Seto said. At least, that's what he thought he said.

Mokuba only managed to hear a muffled gurgle of words followed by a grunt that sounded something like his name. When had Seto had time to learn 'troll'?

"But Seto, I don't want to go back to bed. Anzu's going to be here soon. Aren't you excited?"

Mokuba couldn't possibly know how close the truth he was. If he were kneeling any closer, he might have had a clue.

"Bed, Mokuba. Now." Seto made sure to enunciate each word specifically and his tone of voice should have brooked no argument from the younger sibling that had dared to disturb his peaceful slumber.

With a disheartened sigh, Mokuba climbed off the bed and turned to start padding away when a thought hit him.

"Can you answer me one question then, big brother?"

"What?" Seto refused to open his eyes, fearing to lose the few fragments of the dream he still remembered.

"Why are your clothes all over the hallway outside?"

Groaning, Seto rolled over and refused to dignify the question with any response whatsoever.

Another sigh passed through Mokuba's lips as he left his brother's bedroom and headed back to his own. Maybe he'd ask him later, when he was a little more human and a little less troll.

* * *

_Hours later…_

Seto sat listlessly at the breakfast table, absently stirring his French roast coffee and resting his throbbing, right hand. After Mokuba had finally left his room, he'd had a hard time falling back to sleep. Flashes of his previous dream had permeated his thoughts and prevented any sort of restful, relaxing slumber. Eyes and lips, fingers and tongue had caressed his skin relentlessly til his alarm had gone off half an hour before.

"Seto?"

"Mmm hmmm?"

"Could you stop doing that? You're making an awful lot of racket this early in the morning." Immediately, all motion ceased and Seto turned barely seeing eyes towards where his younger brother sat across the table from him. For a split second, he could have sworn that he saw **her** sitting there, smiling at him lovingly. If only…

With no heavy thoughts to weigh him down this morning, Mokuba had no trouble eating heartily. Cook had prepared her usual Sunday breakfast of eggs Benedict, homemade hash browns, maple bacon, sausage links and pancakes. Nothing on the table appealed to Seto. Even the coffee he usually savoured to the very last drop was unable to raise his interest. It might have had something to do with the fact that it didn't taste quite like sunshine, spring and cookies all rolled into one.

"Sorry, Mokuba. I guess I'm a little tired this morning," Seto replied before yawning widely.

"But, you can't be tired! Anzu's coming over in a few short hours to teach me how to dance. You have to help, you know," Mokuba exclaimed, his youthful exuberance having no affect whatsoever on his older brother.

"I know, Mokuba. I'll be fine shortly. I just didn't sleep well after **someone** decided to wake me up at 5 am," Seto said before directing a half-hearted glare at the other side of the small kitchen table.

"All right, big brother. I'm sorry. It's just that Anzu's never been here to our house before. Do you think she'll like it?"

"I'm sure she'll like it just fine," he replied with no conviction in his voice. He didn't really care what she thought about the house they lived in. What interested him more was what she thought about him. She'd flirted outrageously with him at the park yesterday (til her **father** had shown up) and yet neither of them had followed through on the apparent attraction between them. Maybe during this afternoon's lesson/contest, he'd find a private moment to tell her how he felt… a moment where Mokuba left the room and he was able to find out exactly what her lips tasted like (and he prayed it was sunshine, cookies and spring all rolled into one).

Lost in deep thought about this important subject, Seto absently agreed to whatever question Mokuba had just asked. With a squeal of delight, Mokuba stuffed a last few slices of bacon into his mouth and raced out of the kitchen, evil delight written all over his too eager, young features.

* * *

_Meanwhile, in a house not that far away…_

"Anzu! Breakfast!"

A sleepy groan from somewhere in the vicinity of the bed told him his daughter hadn't died of embarrassment at some point during the night. Kouhei hadn't been able to help it. It had been over a week since he'd last seen his one and only princess and then his wife had told him of her upcoming date/impending adultness. It had been a hard thing to think about – his little girl was growing up. He'd just wanted to get her for dinner and make sure she hadn't turned twenty three and moved into her own apartment while he'd been away on business in the States. Miyu had made it sound so innocent for her to go out on a date when he knew the truth – it was the start of her independence, a time where she relied less on her parents and more on herself. How he was dreading the day she flew the coop.

"Anzu? Are you planning on getting up at some point this century?"

"Mmm hmmm, just a few more minutes, Takeshi-sensei, and I'll be finished my report…" he heard her mumble. Poor Anzu must have been working hard at school for the grade exams coming up.

"…I would've been done sooner, but Kaiba-kun has been… distracting me," she finished and then giggled. "Seto, stop it." Another breathy, girlish giggle.

"Anzu, last call for breakfast. Strawberry waffles and bacon, your favourite," Kouhei stated as enticingly as possible. He just wanted her in a state of wakefulness where he didn't have to listen to her giggle (and possibly sigh breathlessly) about a boy she was going to date. It just wasn't something a father should here on a Sunday morning. Just that one line from her had his knees quaking like gelatine.

"Mmmm, bacon?" she mumbled sleepily and her tousled head popped out from somewhere near the foot of the bed.

"Yes, Anzu, lots of bacon. You just have to come downstairs and get it," he replied coaxingly. During school days, it was impossible to keep her in bed and on the weekends, it was the total opposite. At least she was always happy when she finally was awake. That was something she got from her mother. He himself was a bear when first awakened – unless, of course, something **great** had happened the night before.

"Okay, Dad. Five minutes," Anzu murmured and from the rustlings, there was a chance he wouldn't have to call her a second time and actually pretend to be angry about it.

"Five minutes, princess." With a smile, Kouhei turned and walked out.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

"Is she coming down soon? The bacon's going to burn…" Miyu started as her husband wandered into the kitchen just a short time after she'd pestered him to wake up his only child. He didn't say anything but a forlorn sigh, quiet and deep, met her ears. Something must have happened in the intervening moments that spoiled the great mood he'd been in when he'd woken up this morning.

"Sounded like it. I didn't stick around to find out, especially after yesterday." Kouhei shuddered at the memory.

"From what you told me, it wasn't that bad, dear. All you did was introduce yourself to the boy as Anzu's father, right?" Miyu asked. It would have been something to see – Kouhei sizing up the would-be suitor of his princess. When her husband didn't answer her question, or even look at her, she knew he hadn't given her the full story the night before. It might even explain why Anzu hadn't made any mention of the upcoming ball during dinner either. And why she hadn't really asked him about his trip to the United States. Or really even spoken to him at all, now that she thought about it. "Kouhei, **dear**, did something else transpire in the park that I'm not aware of yet? Because you'd better come clean right now before I find out what really happened from Anzu. And you know she has a teenage tendency to over dramatize every event in her life."

"Well, not really… much more than that happened…" he started.

How could he manage to look sheepish, embarrassed and so endearing all at the same time? It was something she'd have to ask him about sometime. "Out with it."

Wincing at the edge in her voice and the hard glint in her eye, he began again, "Well, you know what kind of a reputation that boy has in the business world. Whatever he wants, he gets, no matter the cost or what he has to go through to get it. I just wanted to let him know that he should treat Anzu as a person, not as some trophy to be gotten, played with and forgotten about…"

Miyu snorted before she interrupted him, "Honey, they're going out on a date. What makes you think he'd treat her badly?" The poor boy would probably be so nervous that taking advantage of Anzu would be the furthest thing from his mind. Aiko's dress would help in that department as well. She'd have to remember to remind Anzu about her Tuesday appointment as well.

"I'm not expecting him to treat her badly. I'm expecting him to treat her **too** nicely and expect **something** in return…" Miyu just didn't understand how a man's mind worked when it came to the opposite sex. They'd try anything, use any opportunity to get what they wanted from a girl. Why else did boys date girls?

"Dear, Anzu's seventeen years old. She knows what boys are all about – her best friends **are** boys, in case you hadn't noticed. She knows exactly how to put them in their place should they become a little too… eager. I've seen her do that often enough in the past to trust her judgement implicitly." Miyu cleared her throat and arched her brow at her beloved husband. "Now, what else happened in the park? And no more stalling for time. Now or never."

"Well, dear, I introduced myself as Anzu's father and offered him my hand…"

"Oh, **no**. You didn't!"

"I did. I gave him my special…"

"Triple pump handshake," a new voice finished. A tousled mop of brown hair flounced into the kitchen, pyjamas still on, and flopped down at the kitchen table. "Dad gave Seto that stupid handshake as some sort of test of male dominance."

"Kouhei! I can't believe you'd use that on a teenager, on someone that can't possibly be as strong as you are." Miyu shook her head in disbelief. That was a special handshake that her own father had taught him once he'd joined 'the family' and was never to be used for anything other than business matters of the utmost importance. "He really did it, Anzu?"

"Yup, but it didn't quite work out the way he'd expected. Did it, Dad?" The smug smirk on her face told Miyu everything. So she hadn't been completely embarrassed by her father, just a little put-out.

"Not quite," Kouhei agreed. "Turns out he's stronger than he looks. Must have something to do with coding computer programs all day that made his hand that strong." Unconsciously, he rubbed his right hand that still throbbed slightly from the 'beating' it had taken the afternoon before from one scrawny teenager.

"So, he didn't twist and whimper in pain from the final pump of that handshake?" Miyu asked incredulously. No one she knew could have withstood that test of strength without a serious amount of pain tolerance. This Kaiba Seto was proving to be more interesting with every passing day. Waiting to meet him was going to kill her.

"Nope, he almost turned it around on Dad. If Dad hadn't had years of practice with that handshake behind him, he would have been the one doing all the whimpering," Anzu replied, self-satisfied humour colouring her words. Seto had done nothing to deserve to have that handshake sprung on him. Dad had gotten everything he deserved for being so… so… protective of her. She was quite capable of taking care of herself – she just had to prove it to him. "Now, I distinctly remember someone mentioning bacon…"

**BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP…**

The smoke alarm provided the perfect backdrop for a **quiet** morning in the Mazaki household.

* * *

So much for plot movement. There's a bit but the next chapter should prove to be entertaining. Have I mentioned how much I love Anzu's parents? Some seem to think they should be mean and nasty but I see them as ordinary – regular business people that are trying to do their best for their only child. More of that will surface in future chapters. 

Anyways, thanks for reading and/or reviewing. All comments and constructive criticism greatly appreciated. All flames will be used to roast hot dogs and hamburgers in my BBQ.

Thanks,

Aphrael21;)


	18. Much Ado About Nothing

**Chapter 16 – Much Ado About Nothing…**

And it's just about time for the challenge to commence. Hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. What great fun! I wonder who's going to win… ;)

* * *

"So Anzu, what are your plans for the rest of the day? I'm assuming you have some since you haven't called Yugi yet to arrange anything. Might it have something to do with a certain… boy that your father has already taken a small disliking to?" Miyu asked before taking a sip of coffee from her mug and eyeing her daughter as she dried her hands on a green dishtowel. She was too perceptive for her own good but at least she'd waited until her husband had left the room before mentioning anything of this sort to Anzu. Otherwise, her stalwart daughter may have died of even further embarrassment.

"Mom, how do you know these things? Am I **that** transparent?" Anzu asked. Her mother was way too observant – she couldn't hide anything from her, not that she'd ever really tried to. It was just safer to answer her questions than to have her find out on her own.

"Anzu, dear, if you were that transparent, your father would have already grounded you til you were thirty. No, dear, the only reason I know what's going on is because I'm a mother and believe it or not, I was once in your shoes," Miyu replied, laughing softly at the look of shock on Anzu's face. "Yes, contrary to popular belief, I was young once too. I know what it's like to have a crush on a boy." A hand shot up to silence the outburst before it even happened. It would be easier to talk about it once it was all out in the open. No more pussyfooting around what she was feeling for this Kaiba Seto. "Don't even start, Anzu. Let's name it for what it is out loud." A sigh of defeat came from across the room. "You do like him, right?"

"Yes, Mom, I like Seto, but…"

"…you don't know if he feels the same way," Miyu finished. It wasn't a question.

"Right." Anzu honestly wondered how she could have ever doubted her mother's intelligence when she was younger. She had years of experience and knowledge behind her and could prove a useful ally against her father should things between her and Seto become more… serious. Just that thought sent an expectant tingle down to her toes. What would this afternoon bring?

"And you want to know how to tell him." Again, it was not a question.

"Right again, Mom. You have to stop doing that. You're starting to scare me." Anzu shot her a sharp stare but missed the smile hiding behind the coffee mug.

Anzu had so much to learn about life in general and boys in particular. She understood what made them tick, how they thought and how they saw girls – but she'd only ever dealt with that as friends, never as something **more**. "I'm supposed to scare you, dear, I'm your mother," Miyu stated matter-of-factly, "And as to how to tell him? Plain and simple. Don't be subtle or even obvious about it – just tell him straight out. Men are a little thick-headed – you have to spell it out for them. Besides, he'll appreciate your honesty." She motioned to Anzu for the coffeepot. Silence for a moment as Anzu refilled her mother's coffee cup and put the pot back where it belonged.

"But…"

"But what if he doesn't like you back?"

"You're doing it again."

"I know. And Anzu, from what you've told me so far, and with the rose you brought home on Friday, you have absolutely nothing to be worried about. Just tell him how you feel about him and watch how he melts." Miyu smiled warmly and her eyes twinkled when Anzu blushed to the roots of her hair and immediately vacated the kitchen.

* * *

"Do you think it worked, Pharaoh?" Yugi asked, watching the Spirit hover in silence at the foot of his bed. The small, secretive smile he wore should have given him a clue but Yugi wanted verbal confirmation that everything had gone okay and that no one had been hurt. That, after all, had been his biggest concern when they'd cast the spell the night before.

"Everything went well, Yugi. Rest your worries. Kaiba accepted the spell easily. He will be hard pressed to stop thinking about Anzu for days, possibly weeks."

"How do you know this?"

"If he hadn't wanted the spell, if he'd objected to it in any way at all, the spell would have returned at some time through the night." The Spirit turned to face Yugi, his smile now more wickedly playful than secretive. "And I don't recall you having any more 'dreams' about Isis."

"No…" The blush on his other's face was quite becoming.

"Well then, everything worked out as planned. Kaiba will be more than happy to see Anzu this afternoon for their dance challenge."

"And then?"

"And then we wait. That will be the hardest part." Everything had been set into motion since their first conversation and now it was all up to Kaiba to ensure that Anzu had a good time before, during and even after von Schroeder's Grand Spring Ball on Friday. That would be the true test of Kaiba's aptitude when it came to girls. He also had a very good feeling that Kaiba would need further… instruction in proper etiquette to obtain Anzu's full affections.

"So…" Yugi looked slyly over at his friend, his other half. "Who do you think will break first and admit their feelings – Kaiba or Anzu?"

"That, my friend, is something better discussed over breakfast. Maybe French toast with blueberry syrup this time?"

"Anything for you."

* * *

_**Ding dong ding dong… ding dong ding dong…**_

What had he been thinking when he'd accepted this little challenge from her yesterday at the park? At the time, it had seemed brilliant, a way to spend more time with her for a semi-legitimate reason plus a way to prove that he **did** have a sense of humour, no matter what rumour stated about him. Mokuba did need help in the dance department but why had he thought to prove **himself** to her this way? Just the idea of doing this was sending an eruption of butterflies through his stomach. How could he possibly win when both of his feet had gone left on him?

With a sigh, he trudged through the kitchen where he'd been drinking coffee since breakfast (which still didn't taste right to him) and issuing orders for the staff to take the afternoon off. That was enough to start the gossip mill running and an audience was the last thing he wanted for what he was about to put himself through. Add in an energetic, hyperactive younger brother and there was a recipe for disaster if he'd ever seen one.

He paused before the mirror by the door to check himself out one last time and make sure he was impeccably presentable. An interrupted night of very pleasant dreams followed by a morning of yawns, groans and moans had definitely had consequences to his appearance. Even the shower he'd snuck upstairs at noon to take hadn't done anything to alleviate the black tinge he swore he could see under his eyes.

With a last once over in the mirror and a nervous rake of fingers through hazel hair, he assumed his usual mask of outward confidence. The ornate golden handle on the massive oak door before him felt hot under his slightly sweaty hand as he pushed down on it.

The door swung open noiselessly.

* * *

_**Ding dong ding dong… ding dong ding dong…**_

What had she been thinking when she'd made this crazy challenge to Seto in the park yesterday? Now that the time had come to either put-up or shut-up, she found that she was more than a little scared of what possibly awaited her on the other side of the mansion doorway. A part of her found the challenge exciting – Seto had been in extreme good spirits when he'd accepted her crazy little dare – but another part of her was dreading the experience. What if she won? She'd have to make him a Western dinner with her own two hands and while she wasn't a horrible cook, she wasn't nearly as good as her mother. And, would he hold a grudge against her if she did display better skills than he did? Look what had happened with Seto and Yugi. Their rivalry had spanned the last three or four years and was no closer to a resolution.

And what if he won? He'd have to make dinner for her and then she'd have to eat it. What if he **was** a horrible cook? Could she choke the food down without offending him in any way and still stay out of the hospital for food poisoning? And, would he tease her mercilessly if he did win? That in itself would be a nightmare to face on a daily basis at school, not to mention the humiliation she would suffer at the hands of her peers. Then word would spread to her dance instructor and where would she be then?

With a shake of her head, she cleared all negative thoughts from her mind and focussed on what was most important – her promise to help Mokuba become a better dancer. There were bound to be young girls his age there and with his boyish good looks, he would be asked by many of them to take a turn on the dance floor. She would just have to concentrate on preparing him instead of facing his older, way more handsome, brother in a dance duel.

With her mental resolve stiffened, she pushed the small golden button of the door bell. She heard it ring inside the house and steeled herself for whatever was to come. There was no turning back now.

The door swung open noiselessly.

* * *

The door swung open noiselessly and she almost gasped at the sight of the person who'd opened it. It was Seto himself. She'd been expecting a maid or a butler or Isono even to open it and so wasn't prepared to meet his blue-eyed gaze so soon. The butterflies flittered anew in her stomach and she swallowed hard. His hair looked all messed up as if he'd just gotten out of bed and her fingers itched to put it back in place. At least he was casually dressed. No black attire or trademark white trench coat for the second time in as many days. Just a simple, navy polo shirt that served to emphasize exactly how blue his eyes really were and a pair of tan slacks that fit nicely in every way imaginable. Her eyes swept downwards as a faint blush at her naughty thoughts tinged her cheeks red.

Anzu looked so damned appealing as she stood there with her eyes downcast and her hands clasped behind her back. Her light green t-shirt with white lettering spelling out the word 'SPUNKY' and curve-hugging, white Capri pants showed off her amazing figure and Seto couldn't think of a single, **decent** thing to say to her at that moment. Flickers of the dream came back to him and he desperately fought the urge to hold her against him, to feel the warmth of her skin through her shirt, to run his fingers through her hair, to bring his mouth… Control. He had to control himself and that was going to become more difficult as the afternoon wore on, he suspected.

Leaning against the doorway, he caught her eyes before saying anything. "Hello Anzu, so nice of you to show up and on time no less."

"_Okay, so what's going on now? What are they doing?"_

"_Not much yet. Seto's just opened the door and said hi to Anzu."_

"_And…"_

"_And he's just standing there now, talking to her and leaning against the door. She looks like she's happy to see him, she's smiling and stuff. I can't see his face from here but I bet he's smirking."_

"_His favourite facial expression."_

"_I think he's got a patent on it, he uses it so often."_

"_Indeed."_

How could mere, simple words make her want to melt into a boneless puddle at his feet? How could she tell him how she felt about him if he kept doing this to her? Obviously, now was not the best time to dwell on something like that so she crossed her arms over her chest and steeled herself for a glance at his face before she answered him. "Are you disappointed that I showed up?" She kept her voice light and playful and saw a spark light up his eyes. Good. He was happy to see her. Her mother had been right. Being straightforward with a guy was the best way to go.

"Why would I be disappointed at you showing up? **You** were the one that challenged **me** in the park yesterday, remember? I am not one to back down from a challenge. **Any** challenge." Her smug smirk at his words made him almost smile in return. The flirting had already begun and she wasn't even through the doorway yet. Finding an excuse to get rid of Mokuba and take the flirting one step further was going to be hard but it would be worth it. Sunshine, spring and cookies would always be worth it.

"Good, then get ready for the challenge of your life," she purred, taking the initiative and squeezing by Seto to enter the mansion. Wow, he smelled good. Somehow, she knew that he'd taken special care to get ready for this afternoon's 'entertainment' and it made her want to squeal in delight to know that he'd done that just because of her. Taking another step forward and losing eye contact with Seto, she took in exactly where she was.

"_And now she's gotten by him and into the front entranceway of the house. Anzu looks like she's in shock but it's usually that way for anyone when they come to our house for the first time."_

"_What's Kaiba doing?"_

"_You know, Yugi, you should really start calling him Seto. After everything you've done for him, you two have to be at least friends."_

"_Six of one and half a dozen of the other. I won't call him Seto until he realizes that we've become more friends and less rivals."_

"_Whatever. He's just watching her look around the front entranceway and … Ooo."_

"_What?!"_

"_I think… I think he just looked at her butt. Why would he want to do that? There's nothing interesting about that unless there's gas coming out of it."_

"_You have so much to learn about girls, Mokuba."_

Anzu gasped and stopped cold. She'd never been inside his house, his mansion, before and so was unprepared for what her eyes showed her.

She also didn't see the mop of black hair disappear around the corner of the upstairs.

A double marble staircase dominated the front entranceway, its cold, white stone veined with gold and swathed in royal blue carpet. Looking up towards the ceiling, she spotted the most intricately detailed gold and crystal chandelier she'd ever seen in her life. Mirrors hung beside the entrance doors, polished to perfection, and wall sconces held smaller lights that reflected from burnished gold plates behind them. Rich paintings adorned the walls, pastoral scenes mingled with still life pictures and portraits of men and women of regal bearing looking down their noses at her. She knew that Seto was beyond rich and lived in luxury but she'd never imagined anything like this. The arrogance of the place seemed to almost smirk at her, to dominate her, letting her know that she was beneath notice, that she was of an unacceptable class of society and shouldn't have even been allowed to view such sumptuous elegance, that she should just crawl back under the rock she'd come from and leave well enough alone…

Anzu hadn't heard Seto come up behind her and she nearly jumped out of her skin when his fingers came to rest on top of her arm. She could almost swear that sparks flew from that small touch…

"I haven't had a moment to spare to redecorate this place," he began, "My stepfather was not much of an interior decorator." Though the words were gentle enough, Anzu could sense the disdain and dislike Seto heaped upon Kaiba Gozaburro. The man, she remembered, had been something akin to a monster in human form that had imprisoned his only natural child in a cyber world and then slowly forgotten about him. An adopted Seto, and to a lesser extent Mokuba, had become his main focus and all effort went into ensuring that Seto became the best.

"_So, what's going on now? Can you see anything?"_

"_He's whispering something to her and touching her arm after she stared at the stuff by the front door. I don't think she liked it very much cuz I saw her shiver."_

"_Is it that ugly in the hallway?"_

"_No, but it's really, really disturbing. I don't like it much myself but I've gotten used to it. I think Seto's just reassuring her now."_

"_That means it's almost time for us to hang up. Keep me informed as to what's going on throughout the afternoon, will you?"_

"_Do you want me to do anything 'special'?"_

"_No, anytime you leave to call me, they'll have a few moments alone. That should be enough on its' own."_

"_Okay. Talk to you later, Yugi."_

"_Bye, Mokuba."_

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" she said softly, the jovial mood from moments before spoiled by bad memories she hadn't meant to bring to the forefront of attention for Seto.

"Don't be," Seto replied. "That was a long time ago." He smiled softly then, an unusual facial expression for him, and saw her eyes lighten to their normal, exquisite blue before she smiled back. A flutter went through his stomach and the tension of the moment melted away almost as if it hadn't existed. "C'mon, I remember something about a dance challenge…"

"…that I'm going to win. I hope you're a good cook." Anzu couldn't believe the difference that just a couple of days with Seto had made to him. He was joking and talking almost as if they'd been friends for years. Now, if only she could get him to act that way with the rest of her friends, life would be perfect.

"Hmm, I was hoping the same thing," he said, watching her eyes light up even more with mirth. "Shall we get started?"

"My thoughts exactly. The sooner we get started, the sooner I can kick your butt."

Taking her into his arms and kissing the smirk off of her lips was not an option at the moment, not with his little brother still being in the house and his whereabouts unknown. Speaking of which… "I suppose I should call for Mokuba then. He'd be disappointed if he missed any part of this." Seto took a deep breath, about to holler for his wayward younger brother, when Mokuba seemed to magically appear at the top of the stairs.

"Is Anzu here? I thought I heard the doorbell…" he asked, trying to sound as innocent and sweet as possible while hiding his mischievous grin. He was having way too much fun plotting with Yugi and the Pharaoh to blow his cover now.

"I can't believe you didn't hear the doorbell. Usually, you're here before me to answer it."

"I was… occupied," Mokuba replied, hoping the tinge on his cheeks was enough to cover his absence. But what Seto said was true – they had so few visitors that he was always the first one to answer the door. "Hi, Anzu. I'm so glad you're here. I haven't been able to think about anything else since you said you'd come here to teach me how to dance yesterday."

"I'm excited to be here too, and I'm happy to help. You should know that by now," Anzu replied, tousling Mokuba's hair and giving him a warm smile.

"Then you should have been here at 5 am when he woke me up to **tell** me how **excited** he was," Seto said, the dryness of his tone betrayed by the mirth in the look he shot to his younger sibling.

Anzu couldn't think of anything to say right then. The image of Seto sleeping had fired her imagination and left her with questions she knew she'd never get an answer to. Questions like – What did he sleep in? Did he sleep in anything at all? What did his hair look like at 5 am – messy or perfect as usual? Did he snore? Drool? Talk? And most importantly, was he as hot sleeping as he was awake?

Seto saw the blush on her cheeks and couldn't quite understand why she was so red. Mokuba hadn't done anything to embarrass her. **He** should have been the one to be red, not her, but he decided to spare her any more possible discomfort and get the lessons underway. "Shall we get started then, now that we are all present and accounted for?"

Anzu didn't want to risk speaking, in case she squeaked as she had in the cafeteria at school, and so just nodded her agreement. Mokuba's grin grew to an almost uncomfortable wattage as he grasped Seto's and Anzu's hands in his own. "C'mon, this way," he uttered, barely able to contain his glee, before leading them down the hall to the west of the entrance.

"Mokuba?"

"Yes, Seto?" he sweetly asked.

"Where are we going?" Seto asked suspiciously. There again was the feeling of a set-up, just like Mokuba showing up in the limo on Friday morning.

"To the ballroom, of course, big brother," came the sugary response.

"The… the ballroom? Why are we going there?" Anzu had never heard him sound so unsure of himself.

"Because Seto, you gave me permission to set it up this morning," Mokuba patiently explained. Nothing was going to spoil his surprise now.

"I did?"

"Yes." Exasperation was evident by now and Anzu watched the exchange much as one watched a tennis match. "You were still drinking coffee at the breakfast table and staring into space when I asked you."

…and thinking about Anzu, Seto remembered. Mokuba was growing more and more wily with each passing day and the set-up feeling was increasing. Could Mokuba possibly understand the ramifications of what he was about to do? Worse yet, did Mokuba **know** more about what was happening between him and Anzu than he was letting on? Worst of all, was Mokuba's recent, deviant behaviour geared towards the possibility of a relationship between Anzu and himself? That was something to ponder at a later date, not now when she was so close to him that he could smell the strawberry scent of shampoo from her hair.

"What's so special about the ballroom?" Anzu asked, feeling Mokuba tug her along at an even quicker pace. Seto could do nothing but hope and pray that everything was all right in the ballroom and that nothing had yet… exploded.

"You'll see," Mokuba replied, giving her a most devilishly becoming smile. Ruining the surprise would be no fun at all and he'd worked hard all morning to get it ready. Even Yugi had been impressed with his ingenious ideas.

Chancing a glance at Seto, Anzu couldn't read his expression clearly. It was somewhere between mortified and stoic and she couldn't reason why he'd feel either of those. There had to be something in the ballroom that he didn't want her to see. Or maybe, it wasn't **ready** to be seen?

"We're here," Mokuba announced, stopping suddenly and causing his two 'captives' to almost tumble over him in surprise. Anzu straightened herself out and snuck a peak at an even more dishevelled Seto before she glanced at her surroundings.

Intricately carved double, solid oak doors with golden handles stood closed before her. Faint sounds were coming from behind the doorway. Listening more intently, she could pick out the soft strains of classical music, the gentle murmur of falling water and even what possibly sounded like laughter. Somewhere behind those doors lay the source of the sound and she was totally intrigued as to what, exactly, was going on and why Seto had shown such hesitation to be brought here.

"Anzu, would you like to do the honours?" Mokuba asked, spreading his hands wide towards the doors. This was it. His big plan was about to be set into motion and not even Seto could stop him now. Seto's late nights in the office were about to be officially finished. Hiding his grin took much effort but for Seto, and even Anzu, he would do anything.

"Is something going to come out of there and scare me?" she quipped, noticing the gleam in Mokuba's violet-grey eyes and the oh-so-innocent smirk on his lips. There was something going on here, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. This felt almost like a… set-up, as if Mokuba **wanted** her and Seto to become more than friends. It was as if he already knew that she liked him and that the reverse was true as well. Hmmm, maybe telling Seto how she felt wasn't going to be so awkward after all.

"Of course not. Why would I want to scare you away? You've come over here to help me learn to dance better and to prove one way, or another, that my big brother can bust a move. Just open the doors, Anzu. You won't be disappointed," Mokuba replied, sincerity clearly evident in his voice and his eyes. Seto could do nothing but look on in confusion. What, exactly, had Mokuba done behind those doors? And why had nothing blown up yet?

"All right then," she replied. Taking a deep breath, Anzu grasped the handles to the two doors and geared herself up for whatever was on the other side. Throwing them wide open, all she could see was a bright light…

* * *

And that's all I wrote. I have had so many ideas for this story that they're getting hard to keep track of and so the story becomes that much longer. The **next** chapter is now the big one. Hope you all enjoyed it!

Aphrael21;)


	19. Dance, Dance Revelation

**Chapter 17 – Dance, Dance… Revelation?**

"_All right then," she replied. Taking a deep breath, Anzu grasped the handles to the two doors and geared herself up for whatever was on the other side. Throwing them wide open, all she could see was a bright light…_

…before it coalesced and everything became clear to see once more.

And it was breathtaking.

Amazing.

Astounding.

She would even go so far as to say it was extraordinarily extraordinary.

Anzu couldn't focus on all of it at once so she took it in one detail at a time. The ballroom was, to put it simply, massive. It was almost large enough to put a football field to shame and make Anzu feel small enough to fit through the keyhole. Dark cherry wood panels were evenly spaced with cream coloured segments on three of the four walls, creating a warm, cozy feeling for such a large room. The final wall was composed completely of glass and offered a magnificent view of the extensive gardens along the west side of the mansion.

While the view was marvellous, what struck her most was the group of well-dressed people standing stock-still in a variety of positions around the room. The ones near the centre of the enormous space seemed to be in the middle of a dance, arms and feet raised up in time to the still playing music. Others were posed in the middle of conversation with mouths open and hands poised to continue gesturing once their motion resumed. Others still were gathered at a banquet table, delicate china plates and scrumptious goodies held between immovable fingers. The details of the scene before her were so perfect, Anzu swore she could see crumbs from one of the pastries frozen in mid-air.

What, exactly, was going on here?

At almost the same moment, Seto himself was wondering the same thing. How had Mokuba managed to do this all by himself without a single explosion or shower of sparks? The last time **he'd **tried to do **anything** in this room, he'd had to order it stripped and redecorated for the smoke and fire damage. Through some small miracle, Seto had managed to escape that disaster with only his hair looking as if he'd stuck his finger in the proverbial electric socket. At least that incident had happened on a weekend since he'd smelled of smoke and singed hair for two days.

"Wow," she breathed. Whatever was happening, it was still a breathtaking, mesmerizing sight to behold.

Mokuba could only smirk in satisfaction at the twin looks of dumbfounded confusion on the two teenager's faces. It had taken him five hours, four computers and eight cans of _Jolty Cola_ but he'd done it and it had worked out so much better than expected.

"How, exactly, **did** you _**do**_ all of this?" Seto asked, not daring to take too deep a breath lest it all dissolve in flames or worse.

"It wasn't that hard, Seto. All I did was fix the mistakes in the program you wrote and by allowing for a variable of…"

"I hate to interrupt but what exactly did Mokuba do?" Anzu asked, causing both boys to turn to look at her from what had been about to become a very technically oriented conversation. Her confounded look amused Seto and he couldn't help but laugh.

"Mokuba has executed a _**miracle**_." Seto took a deep breath before he continued on. What Mokuba had done in a few short hours had taken Seto months to code and even longer to try and debug. Had he realized before how brilliant Mokuba was when it came to computer programming, Seto would have enlisted his help months ago to get the program up and running. As Anzu waited patiently for an answer and continued to look at the ballroom in awe, Seto thought about how to put it in simple, easy to understand terms. Unbidden then, he remembered the duel he'd had with Yugi atop the castle at Duellist Kingdom and the portable duelling system they'd used. That gave him exactly what he needed for Anzu to comprehend just how big this was.

"Do you really want to know what he's done, Anzu? Are you sure you can handle knowing it? Just seeing it seems to have thrown you for a bit of a loop. In fact, I've never heard you this speechless before." Anzu blushed delicately as her eyes caught his but he could see the yearning for comprehension in those blue, blue depths. Taking another deep breath, he continued, "Mokuba has just revolutionized the duelling world by perfecting my holographic technology. What you see before you is a hologram, plain and simple, with a twist."

"What kind of a twist? It all looks so real…" Anzu said and turned to look again at the images before her. If what he said were true, then, none of this was real. But what was the twist?

"Remember the duel I had with Yugi atop Pegasus' castle at Duellist kingdom? The portable system we used then?" With a sharp stare, Anzu turned to face him. That wasn't one of the happiest memories for her – she'd cried at having to dissuade Yugi's other half from winning at any cost. Seto hadn't been the nicest of opponents either. The threat of the sonic backlash from the duel disk knocking him from the wall of the castle should have deterred Yugi from attacking with his Celtic Guardian but it hadn't. If things had gone differently and she hadn't stepped in…

"I remember," she replied softly.

Seto could see the pain in her eyes at the memory and he inwardly winced. That hadn't been the happiest of times for him either, what with him having been forced to duel Yugi so he could even have a chance at saving Mokuba from the grip of a madman. He'd done what he had deemed necessary at the time to protect his little brother. If things had gone differently and she hadn't stepped in… "Then you have an idea as to how much more advanced this is. In a way, this is as real as you and I. The program is meant to mimic reality as closely as possible. What you see here is just a rough outline of where this technology is headed."

"And this has what to do with duelling? Are you trying to make it **more** real than it already is? Wait a minute…" If what he said were true… With her hand stretched out before her, Anzu strode into the ballroom to test her theory. The waterfall she'd heard before the doors opened was just to the side of the main doorway – that was exactly what she needed. With her fingers tingling in anticipation, she thrust them into the still falling water. Water droplets caressed her fingertips before cascading back into the fountain. Rubbing her fingers together, they felt wet, as if water had truly poured over them just now but if what Seto said were true… "This water fountain isn't real, is it? It's all part of the hologram like you said. Yet, it feels like it has substance. Wow, so nothing in this room is real and yet it is. Kind of like the holodecks on Star Trek, then."

"Same idea, different execution. Once this technology is perfected, it will be just as portable as the Duel Disk itself. In fact, if all works out well, it will be built into the next generation of Duel Disks. That's a few years away though. I've even been pondering the idea of setting up a special school… But enough of that. It's time to teach Mokuba how to dance."

Anzu mentally shook out of the slight funk she'd dropped into at Seto's mention of Duellist Kingdom to prove his point. She figured they were one for one now, since she'd unintentionally brought up his stepfather. But the past was the past and it was time to move on. Neither of them were the same people… the fact that she was even here, in his house, discussing feats of technological miracles, was proof enough of that. "And to prove whether or not you are in the possession of two left feet."

"Then let's go, you two. You've chit-chatted long enough. Just give me a sec to re-boot the program to get it up and running again then we can start. Wait here," Mokuba stated matter-of-factly. That should give them at least ten minutes alone since the program needed to be rebooted on three different computers in order for the synchronization to take effect. With a sly grin to his older brother and a wink to Anzu, Mokuba sped off towards a doorway at the farthest end of the ballroom.

They were alone. Just the two of them, standing next to each other with a few holographic 'stiffs' for company, and he couldn't think of a single, blasted thing to say to her. It had been so much easier yesterday at the park, before they'd been interrupted by her father, to talk to her. The only thing he could put it down to was nerves. He was nervous about being in her presence, especially after last night's 'entertaining' dream about her.

Anzu couldn't read the expression on his face but if he was feeling anything like she was feeling, then they'd both be spitting butterflies in a matter of seconds. She hadn't been alone with him since the few minutes at the park yesterday before her father had shown up and given Seto his now **infamous** handshake. Perfect… "So… how's your hand feeling today? I hope my dad wasn't too rough with you."

"Seeing as how I'd only known him for thirty seconds… it wasn't too bad. I've had presidents of other companies try to give me worse for less." He flexed his hand and only felt a minute amount of pain compared to breakfast. Anzu caught the movement and couldn't help but grin.

"Well, you'll be happy to know that he's promised to never do it to you again. My mom gave him trouble for even using that on you since it's only supposed to be used for business deals. Him meeting you was a little more… personal." Anzu's eyes crinkled at the corners as her mouth smiled again and he thought the move was adorable. So adorable, in fact, that he smiled more himself. The nerves he'd been so worried about seemed to have disappeared now that the atmosphere was a little more… comfortable.

"That's good. I really wouldn't want to go through that again."

"It was only because you were with me and we were alone. I am, after all, his 'little princess' and I guess that he felt he needed to protect me…"

"…from me? Why on earth would he want to do that?" Seto was truly bewildered as to her father's parental motivation. Unless it was because…

"Because you're a _**boy**_. My father is a little concerned over the fact that most of my friends are guys and wants to make sure they know whom they're dealing with." She saw Seto's befuddled bewilderment and couldn't help but giggle. Obviously this was the first time that Seto had ever come up against parental concern. "It's not as bad as it sounds, Seto. Yugi's the only one that hasn't gone through this whole scenario since we've pretty much grown up together. If… if it makes you feel any better, Jounouchi and Honda didn't fare nearly as well as you did."

"Really. I find **that** rather hard to believe." Seto figured she couldn't miss the implied sarcasm – the muffled chortle proved him right.

"You can't tell him I told you, though. He'd kill me if he found out that I'd told you, of all people, one of his most embarrassing moments ever."

"I promise to not reveal it to another living soul." To prove his point, Seto crossed his finger over his heart and gave her his most sincere look.

She didn't believe him for a second, no matter what his face said. "You can't even tease him about it when there's no one else around. He'll know it was me that told you. Besides, I've seen your temper around Jounouchi. You'll say anything to get a rise out of him."

"That may be true, but since **you** are the one telling me this, I will honour my word, no matter what happens around that scruffy mutt." Just because he was friendly with her didn't mean that that extended to the rest of her little gaggle of friends. They had yet to earn his respect, except maybe Yugi.

Now the sincerity of his words was truly evident and Anzu was almost flattered by this step towards friendship. "All right, then." She took a deep breath before she continued, feeling her cheeks redden as well. "It was the first time Jounouchi and Honda had come to my house after I'd met them. I guess they hadn't heard the door open and all my father heard was mention of 'big knockers.'"

The ballroom rang with an unfamiliar sound.

Kaiba Seto was laughing.

* * *

"You know what's weird, Honda?" Jounouchi asked before a yawn almost separated his jaw. The two of them had spent all night drinking _Jolty Cola_ and trying to beat each other's high scores on _Tetris_. Both of them had been exhausted but that hadn't stopped them from heading to the closest diner to pig out on greasy bacon, fried eggs and hash browns with a whole bottle of ketchup.

"Besides you?"

"Haha, very funny. I was just thinking…"

"That's your first mistake." He knew he'd pay for it later, but Honda couldn't resist. It was too easy to poke fun at his best friend this morning.

Jounouchi ignored this second, more biting comment but made a mental note to give him an atomic wedgie later. "As I was saying, I was just thinking that it's odd we haven't seen Anzu all weekend. She just dropped off the face of the earth."

Honda had to think fast to protect Anzu's secret. Yugi, via Mokuba, had informed him yesterday as to what Anzu's 'exciting' plans were for today and he was pretty sure they did NOT involve an unexpected visit from Jounouchi and his big mouth. She was going to have enough trouble dealing with Kaiba's. "She's uh… she's out for the day."

"Really? When did you find that out? We didn't even manage to see her at the park yesterday."

"Uh, Yugi told me."

"Really? And neither of you two saw fit to tell me?"

"We did but it was after you bonked your head the second time on that pole when we saw Yugi and Mokuba. You probably just forgot." Honda hoped his ruse worked. Jounouchi wasn't always the brightest crayon in the box but sometimes he could be amazingly perceptive. With his fingers crossed under the table, Honda watched his best friend for signs of comprehension.

"Really. Well, where did Anzu go? Who'd she go with? Would she mind if we showed up? I'm bored." Jounouchi turned his eyes down to his plate and was sad to notice that he'd already eaten all of his bacon. Only a greasy smear and a trace of egg yolk remained to prove that there had once been food before him.

"Anzu probably wouldn't mind if we showed up but her parents might. Remember, they came home this weekend so they're all going to spend the day together catching up on everything." Honda almost patted himself on the back for his quick thinking. Jounouchi would never interrupt a 'family time' day.

"Aww man, now what are we supposed to do to amuse ourselves? She was my last, best hope for the day." He gave a resigned sigh. "What about Yugi? What's he doing today?" Jounouchi asked, eyeing the last piece of bacon on Honda's plate wistfully. With a groan, Honda handed it over and watched Jounouchi happily munch away. If it kept him from finding out about Anzu and Kaiba for a little while longer, it would be worth it.

"He mentioned something about having to do inventory with Jii-chan. But we could probably visit there for a little while before we get chased out with the broom again. Assuming they can find it." Anything to keep Jounouchi occupied and out of trouble.

"Think Jii-chan will let me buy on credit today?"

"It never hurts to ask, does it?"

"Cool, you go ahead and pay the bill and I'll wait for you outside," Jounouchi replied, getting up from the table and heading for the door. This was a better way to get Honda back than giving him that atomic wedgie. If he played his cards right, maybe he wouldn't have to pay for lunch, either. It wasn't that he was cheap or anything – free food just tasted better.

Honda sighed and dug out his wallet. Kaiba was going to owe him big time if he ever found out how much interference he'd run to keep Jounouchi out of his face.

* * *

Anzu waited a moment for the echo of the laugh to die away before she risked continuing on with the story. "They weren't allowed in that day and were banned from coming over for two weeks. My father was furious with them."

By the way she ended it, there was actually more to come so Seto took a deep breath and looked at Anzu expectantly.

"The sad part is that Jounouchi and Honda were having a completely innocent conversation about the door knocker on the front door of my house."

"So the moral of the story is…"

"My father acts first and realizes his parental over-protectiveness later," Anzu replied.

"Sounds like what I do to Mokuba. He's not so different from me, after all."

"No, not really. You're both trying to protect someone you love. My father just takes it a step or two too far. In his mind, though, he's totally justified in his reasoning until my mother steps in and explains to him just how wrong he was."

"Either way, my hand still hurts this morning."

She turned a devilish grin towards him and said, "I'm just hoping you don't use that as an excuse to back out of our little challenge."

"Me? Back out? Not when the fate of a Western meal shall soon rest in your seemingly capable hands."

As if on cue to stop the 'trash talk', the holograms around the room shifted a bit, faded in and out twice and made a loud 'POP' sound when they reappeared in new positions around the ballroom. The music also restarted and was kept in time by the holographic orchestra that now appeared on the raised stage at the far side of the room. Anzu smiled when she noticed the changes Mokuba had made to accommodate the dance lesson. The area where the dancers had been was now completely vacant but they had been relocated to the sides of the floor, sitting at desks and looking very dour.

"At least the judging will be impartial," Seto stated, feeling the awe for his little brother's genius rising again.

"Are you so sure about that? Your brother seems to be becoming quite adept at the art of deception. Yesterday at the park felt like a bit of a set-up. Did you two know I was going to be there?"

"It was pure coincidence. Mokuba and I were going to spend the day together and I thought the park would be perfect since there was ice cream, which he absolutely loves. He was the one that spotted you there first." No need for Seto to mention the phone call he'd gotten from Yugi that told him **exactly** where he could find Anzu in the park and had proceeded to head there as round-aboutly as possible. No need to mention either that it was her best friend that had helped him at just about every stage of this crazy situation that would culminate at the ball on Friday. Not that Seto was complaining – he got to spend more time with Anzu and Mokuba was happy. He couldn't ask for more than that.

* * *

"So, now you know just about everything, Jii-chan, that we've been planning for Kaiba and Anzu," Yugi said before taking a look at his grandfather's face. There was a beatific smile there and Yugi decided he'd been right in spilling almost all of the details to him.

"I've always thought there was something between those two and now you two have been helping them out. I'm so proud of you for putting your rivalry with Kaiba aside to help him." Jii-chan smiled again and Yugi could see the glimmer of a tear starting in his eyes. "And it's nice to know what's going on. All those times when you were out saving the world from crazy madmen, I was a little jealous that you got to have all the fun. This, this is ever so much better."

"Thanks, Jii-chan. If we need your help in the future, can we count you in?"

"Of course, Yugi. I'll be glad to help you with your plotting. Nothing like love to get an old man's blood flowing again. Or a world-altering duel."

"Thank you again." Yugi glanced at the Spirit hovering beside him and saw the devilish gleam light up his eyes once more. Something new was in the works that he would find out about later. But for now…

"Now that that's settled, let's get to work. The store hasn't had a good cleaning in weeks, ever since before the last time you had to save the world."

"Sure, I have nothing else planned for the rest of the day." Leaving the front of the store, Yugi made his way into the storage room and began the arduous task of finding the broom and dustpan. His grandfather ran a fairly successful game store but he wasn't very good at organizing anything that didn't have to be displayed. Consequently, the back room was a complete disaster.

Finding the light switch, he flipped it on and grinned when he saw the Pharaoh dusting his hands.

"How could you **possibly** be dirty?"

The Pharaoh ignored his question. "This room has seen cleaner days, of that I am sure," Yami replied, surveying the mess around him.

"Being a Spirit has its advantages," Yugi stated as he sent a cloud of dust into the air by moving a single box out of his way and coughed loudly.

"Perhaps the clean up should start here?" Yami suggested, watching Yugi move another teetering pile of boxes further into the room.

Yugi put his load down, wiped his forehead and shook his head. In just the few seconds they'd been in the room, his other half already had a dirt smear across his temples. "No, that would be backwards to Jii-chan's way of thinking. Once the front of the store is properly cleaned and organized, he'll know what he has room for and this area will be his next target."

"It will take hours to properly clean anything out there." If Yugi didn't know any better, he'd think that the Pharaoh was complaining.

"That's why I always looked forward to saving the world," Yugi replied cheekily before continuing on, "It always seemed to happen right when Jii-chan was getting 'the look' in his eyes when he started seeing dust on the shelves."

The two of them shared a laugh and continued the search for the wayward broom and dustpan in peace.

What seemed like hours later, but was really only twenty minutes, two things happened almost simultaneously.

The first was a loud exclamation from the front of the store that sounded like outrage, in a voice he knew almost as well as his own…

This first thing caused the second thing to happen. Yugi, being so absorbed in the hunt, was supremely startled by the loud noise. In being so startled from his quiet reverie, his arms wind milled as he lost his balance and fell. Unfortunately, he fell square into a stack of boxes he had moved out of the way earlier to search behind them.

"What the he…"

Crash.

"…ll was that?"

Bang.

Packs of cards flew up into the air before landing all around and on top of Yugi. From some other unidentified spot in the room, a broom handle came tumbling down and smacked Yugi straight across his dirty forehead. With a groan of pain and a sigh of frustration, he sat up and shook his head to clear the stars spinning around him. The Spirit couldn't help it. Try as he might, his sides hurt. So, he let the laughter out and watched Yugi turn to stare at him incredulously, a long, red welt already appearing where the broom had struck. His violet eyes were almost impossibly wide and bright through the dirt stains and his mouth had formed a silent 'O'. Colour had risen on his cheeks and Yami once again thought that he looked so much more becoming when he was blushing.

* * *

"Speaking of the little devil, here he comes now," Anzu stated as she saw the mop of black hair bouncing out of the room he'd disappeared into fifteen minutes before. Judging from the width of the smile, everything must have gone okay with the reboot.

"So what do you two want to do first?" Mokuba asked breathlessly. He'd stalled in the backroom as long as he could but he knew he had to reappear at some point. The two teenagers must have had a good conversation since there hadn't been a screaming match while he'd been gone and there were no signs of blood on the walls. Putting Anzu and Seto into the same room with no 'supervision' **could** have resulted in disaster since they were both so strong-willed and opinionated but Yugi and the Pharaoh had assured him that all feelings were mutual on both sides and neither one would willingly start an argument.

"Well, I think we should let you decide that, Mokuba," Seto said. "You are, after all, the one who asked Anzu over."

Mokuba pretended to think about the answer, a finger tapping his chin as he looked up at the ceiling. "I think I want to learn how to dance first. Is that okay with you, Anzu?"

"It's fine with me, Mokuba. It'll give Seto a preview of how easily I'll kick his butt later." Anzu grinned at the older Kaiba brother and saw a spark of challenge light up his blue steel eyes. This was going to be fun.

"Cool. So… how do we start? What kind of music should be playing? Is classical okay for now?" Truth be told, Mokuba didn't really **need **dance lessons (he'd danced quite well (as '**Anzu**') with Seto when Yami had been showing him how to do it) but a few pointers would be good for him to know just in case Leon needed some help in that department. There were bound to be plenty of cute, younger girls for Mokuba and Leon to dance with and try to impress. He hoped that Seto would have as much fun with Anzu as the two of them were going to have.

"Classical should be fine Mokuba, if you want to learn slow dancing," Anzu replied. The face-splitting grin was enough of an answer for her. Even Seto himself couldn't keep from chuckling just the tiniest bit at his expression.

"Anything that gets me closer to cute girls," he replied and felt Anzu muss his hair. Mokuba just hoped that Seto had gotten the hint.

This was going to be fun.

* * *

Well, I've finally managed to get another instalment of my story out to you wonderful people. I apologize for my lack of updating but socializing has been eating up my time and I was recently in a car accident that postponed my endeavours.

Anyways, look forward to the next chapter in a little while. I've already got it started.

Thank you for your patience and, as always, I am

Aphrael21;)


	20. And So It Begins

**Chapter 18** – And So It Begins...

* * *

"Mokuba, you're a natural at dancing," Anzu exclaimed as the youngest Kaiba sent her twirling away before tugging gently on her hand to bring her back. She prepared herself for the next, natural move of the dance she was caught up in, hoping Mokuba knew what to do. She wasn't disappointed when she felt his opposite hand splay against her back as he dipped her as low as his height would allow to finish the song the holographic orchestra was playing.

"That was… amazing! You don't need my help at all, you sly little devil," she said before pausing to catch her breath. "The girls at the ball are going to swoon in delight when they find out what a 'twinkle-toes' you are."

The five holographic judges must have agreed with her since their dour faces now sported smiles and grins as they held up scorecards with 9.5 written on each one. Even Seto, usually the grim-faced sourpuss, wore a smile that actually touched his eyes. Watching Mokuba dance so well with Anzu had stirred something in him. He realized quickly that it was anticipation. Seto couldn't wait for his chance to touch Anzu so intimately, to see if the softness he'd felt in his dream was even close to the real thing.

"Okay, Seto, it's your turn," Mokuba piped up as he eyed the glazed look on his brother's face. It was much the same look he'd worn at breakfast this morning so he must have been thinking about Anzu. Again. Perfect.

"Of course." Seto recovered himself quickly and glanced over at Anzu. She wore a bright smile on her lips and her eyes flashed him a challenge.

"Are you ready to get your butt whooped into next week?" Anzu asked, crossing her arms over her chest and crooking an eyebrow at Seto.

Her pose and demeanour were so… so… **Kaiba**-like that Mokuba burst into laughter at the sight. Anzu remained calm, holding in her own laughter, and shifted the focus of her gaze to the youngest Kaiba. "And just what, may I ask, is so funny?"

"You look a lot like Seto when he used to stare down the Board of Directors til they did what he wanted," Mokuba replied. "They know better than to go against his wishes now. Maybe you'll do the same to him."

She couldn't hold it any longer. Her laughter twinkled across the grand ballroom, lighting every corner with its sparkling sound. Anzu could picture it all too easily. After all, Seto was a bear with a toothache on a good day.

Seto just sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. This was going to be a **long** afternoon if Mokuba stuck around…

* * *

"**WHAT**? What do you mean my name is no good here, Jii-chan? I'm here practically every day," Jounouchi exclaimed. He couldn't believe that the old man was turning him down for more credit. For the most part, he was pretty good at paying the old man back, it sometimes just took a little longer than expected especially when things like saving the world from madmen came up.

"Exactly what I said. You have yet to pay me for the last six booster packs you wanted and until you do, everything in the store is off limits to your grubby little fingers. If you want any more cards, you'll have to work for them just like the rest of us, unless of course, you have the money to pay for them handy." He gave Jounouchi a hard stare to dissuade him from any notion of arguing. Jii-chan hadn't brought success to his business by being a pushover. Seeing the look in Jounouchi's eyes, Jii-chan knew the money wasn't readily available. "You can help Yugi clean the front of the store to pay off your outstanding debts and then we'll talk about you getting more cards."

Jounouchi took one look at the expression on Jii-chan's face and he knew it would ultimately be a losing battle. It was time to suck up his pride, admit defeat and give in to the old man's demands.

"And, if you and Honda help out, lunch will be ready soon. I've been making a chicken curry since this morning and it's _just _about done." Like Pavlov's dogs, Jounouchi's 'bell' was curry. It was one of his favourite foods and Jii-chan knew it. He'd used Jounouchi's attachment to his stomach more than once in the past and would most likely use it mercilessly in the future.

"What do you mean by '_just about done'_?" Jounouchi asked. His eyes had narrowed to small, golden slits and his nose flared softly in anticipation of a bargaining manoeuvre.

"It should be done in an hour or so. The chicken just needs a little longer to simmer in those wonderful, aromatic spices. You should be able to smell it down here by now," Jii-chan countered as he folded his arms over his chest and inhaled deeply. Reflexively, Jounouchi and Honda both took a whiff of the air and they could indeed smell the curry. Jii-chan widened his stance and smiled broadly. Honda could only sigh dejectedly and lean back against the front counter. What was coming could take a few minutes.

"So, you're saying that if I work for that hour, what I owe you for those booster packs is cleared and I get lunch too?" Jounouchi asked, simply wanting to clarify the current terms of this arrangement.

"Yes." It really wasn't that bad a deal at all. And Jii-chan did have something of a soft spot when it came to Yugi's friends.

"Do I get anything else?" Jounouchi was a born opportunist, Honda decided as he watched the two barter back and forth. Trying to get as much as he could for as little as possible was a way of life for the blonde-haired duellist.

Jii-chan pretended to think about Jounouchi's words. If he played his cards right, he might be able to get a **whole** afternoon's worth of work out of Yugi's two best friends for the price of lunch and few more booster packs. "Depends on how hard you two work and for how long. If you both stay after lunch and help clean out the stockroom, I'll make it worth your while."

Honda could almost see Jii-chan's eyes glitter with victory as the grey eyebrows waggled up and down suggestively. Jounouchi wasn't even going to think about the offer. In fact, Honda knew his best friend's thought processes well enough to predict that in…

Three…

Two…

One…

"Done!" Jounouchi exclaimed as he thrust out his hand to seal the deal. Jii-chan's smile had reached beatific proportions and Honda could only sigh at being condemned to work inside the stuffy store for the afternoon.

Kaiba was going to owe him huge…

* * *

Kaiba glanced again at Anzu as she stood there at the edge of the dance floor, still trying to catch her breath from her dance with Mokuba and subsequent laughter. Her features had taken on a faint flush and a drop or two of sweat had beaded at the edges of her forehead, matting her hair down just a bit. He had never seen her look so appealing before.

"Seto?" Mokuba asked, waving a hand in front of his brother's face to try and get his attention. Lost in La-La Land again. What was it about Anzu that made Seto so distracted? She was breathing hard and looked all sweaty. Was that supposed to be attractive? "Seto? Are you going to dance with Anzu or just stare at her all afternoon with that goofy grin on your face?"

"Well, the longer he stands there, the longer he prolongs his defeat," Anzu quipped, her smile becoming infectious throughout the room.

"Are you so sure that you **want** Seto to cook a meal for you?" Mokuba asked, "The only thing he's really good at cooking is ramen noodles. In fact, if it wasn't for Cook, I don't think he'd ever eat at home."

"And if I could teach her to lay off the heavy, creamy dishes, I might just be able to stay awake past 10 pm." The notion that he worked all night, every night for his company was quite the mistake. True, there were a few, a very few, really late nights at the office during the course of the month and often Mokuba was in bed by the time Seto came home from those nights but he wasn't an idiot. Seto made sure to take care of himself by getting enough sleep each night – who would take care of Mokuba if something happened to him?

"She only feeds you that because she thinks you're too skinny," Mokuba replied, remembering the chat he'd had with Cook while they had prepared lunch together. She'd almost been in tears when Mokuba had asked her to put the cream back in the fridge and get out the skim milk for the macaroni and cheese.

"If she keeps it up, I'll die of a heart attack before I have a chance to gain any weight," Seto countered wryly.

Anzu had been right – Seto did have a sense of humour that didn't involve his caustic wit. She and her friends had been on the receiving end of his bitter sarcasm for years – it was nice to know that he wasn't that way with just them.

"All right, you two, if you're ready…" Mokuba said, trying to get back to the contest at hand.

"I'm ready if he is," Anzu replied, re-crossing her arms over her chest and staring pointedly at Seto.

Seto crossed his arms over his own chest and stared challengingly at Anzu. "Just remember, I'm used to winning."

"So am I."

Mokuba looked at the two of them and simply rolled his eyes. One was as stubborn and pig-headed as the other was when it came to competition. But if they were finally ready to start, it was time to bring in his 'surprise'. With a clap of his hands, a sixth desk appeared next to the holographic judges already present.

That got Seto's attention immediately.

"What's that about, Mokuba?" Seto asked, pointing at the newly appeared furniture. He didn't like the sneaky look in his little brother's eyes. It was much the same look he'd had when Seto had come home to find his brother and Yami in his private office, grinning like Cheshire cats.

"You'll see," was Mokuba's cryptic reply as he headed for the doors to the ballroom. Opening them only a crack, he whispered something to someone and waited patiently for a reply. With a mischievous smile, he turned back to his waiting audience. "May I present to you our guest judge, here for this one competition only, our faithful friend, Isono!"

The door opened a little more widely to allow Seto's head of security and personal safety to enter the ballroom. With his hands clasped in front of him and his head bowed down, he almost looked embarrassed to be there. What no one but Mokuba could see was the grin he was hiding under his caterpillar moustache.

Anzu simply looked confused as Isono took another step into the room and closed the door. He was the Kaiba's faithful friend, making sure they were both safe from harm but he was more than that as well. He was the announcer at Duel Tournaments, the referee during important matches, the driver of limos and the pilot of helicopters and planes. What the **hell** was he doing here?

Seto must have read her mind. "What the hell is **he** doing here?"

"I'll let him explain that," Mokuba replied. With a wink, Mokuba stepped back towards the water fountain and tried to blend into the background. This was going to be awesome. He was becoming as devious, if not more devious, than his older brother was. Seto hadn't even seen this coming, not a sniff or a whiff of it at all.

Seto rounded his blue steel gaze on Isono. "Explain."

At the terse command, Isono straightened his shoulders, as well as his mouth, and looked squarely at the elder Kaiba. His heart was racing a mile a minute but nothing showed on his face. He'd never stepped out of his assigned role so completely. "Well, Master Kaiba, before I began to work for you some five years ago, I used to be a dance instructor."

The proverbial pin could have been heard across the hologram-laden room. Anzu's mouth had dropped at the soft-mellow, casual tones of Seto's bodyguard. She'd never really heard him speak before without a microphone in front of his mouth or a note of abject terror in his voice. And at his final pronouncement, her jaw had almost hit the floor. He really **was** a jack-of-all-trades.

Seto, on the other hand, stood in silent disbelief. His quiet, unassuming bodyguard had always just… existed. He'd never really given a thought to what he might have done prior to being in the Kaiba's employment. Add to that the fact that he'd been a **dance instructor** and Seto was hard-pressed to find anything to say about it.

Isono stood his ground stolidly, awaiting the backlash of laughter that usually accompanied this particular detail of his life. Not many people knew about it, certainly none of the men working under him to protect the Kaiba brothers did, as it called his 'manliness' into question. When Master Mokuba had asked him to judge this contest, he'd been delighted to do it. Isono had known about Master Kaiba's crush on Mazaki Anzu for quite some time. His employer had a tendency to nap in the back of the limo and once in a while, he spoke softly in his sleep. Isono was never one to intentionally eavesdrop but sometimes the privacy window between the front and back of the limo wasn't always in the most private of positions.

Seto nodded to Isono, "Take your position, then. Let's see how Mokuba's holograms stand up to reality."

Isono sighed inside, his face remaining stoic and impassable. There'd been a 50/50 chance of him getting fired or worse, demoted, but Master Kaiba seemed to be in a jovial mood especially with Mazaki Anzu present. Walking slowly to the waiting desk, he gingerly pulled the 'chair' out and warily began to sit down, making sure to keep his weight in his knees and ankles in case anything untoward happened. Gently, he eased his backside a little more onto the chair's crimson cushioned seat and found that it was holding his weight firmly. "Amazing," he whispered.

Disbelief almost coloured Seto's features when he saw how careful Isono was being about sitting down on something that wasn't really there. But the chair held, held so well in fact, that Isono leaned back and visibly relaxed before putting his hands on the desk and possibly muttering a small prayer of relief. "Amazing," Seto whispered.

Silence.

"Are we done being amazed?" Mokuba asked a moment or two later, looking at his brother and Anzu with a slightly impatient look. No answer at all, not even an acknowledgement that he had said something. Both of them had been staring incessantly at the chair Isono had sat in as if it would magically turn into a rabid pumpkin and swallow him. Mokuba had tested the codes himself and this was **nothing** compared to what he was about to do.

So absorbed in staring at the wonder of nothing turned something, that neither of the 'contestants' noticed Mokuba pull a small remote control out of his pocket. Obviously they were still in shock over that little bit of nothing that he was determined to show them what his program could really do just so he could get the contest started. With a few practiced clicks, everything changed.

Wow.

* * *

Jounouchi was the first to notice Yugi's arrival at the front of the store. His honey-brown eyes widened in concern. "You okay, Yugi? You got a big red welt across your forehead."

Honda turned to stare at his other best friend and noticed that, yes, Yugi's forehead had a **slight **discolouration to it. It took a lot of willpower to keep from laughing out loud. There was no reason for concern seeing as the welt was about the right length and shape for a bro…

"I'm fine, Jounouchi. And Jii-chan? I found the broom," Yugi replied, brandishing his grandfather's 'always lost' broom. Silence reigned for a single scintilla of time before the room dissolved into peals of laughter. Even Yami began laughing once more, much to the agitation of his host. Yugi waited patiently for a couple of minutes for the giggles to go away and then gave up as he began to smile a little sheepishly. At least it hadn't been a battle to save the world, unless it was against the relentless forces of the dust bunnies.

"Exc…ell…ent, Yugi," Jii-chan started before stopping to catch his breath. Laughing was serious business and some days, it seemed to knock the wind right out of him. "And you'll have your friends here for at least part of this afternoon to help you out. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go check on our late lunch." Jii-chan gave Yugi a sly little wink as he walked to the back of the shop and upstairs.

Yugi could only sigh and roll his eyes skyward. His grandfather was a wily, old fox who'd yet again manipulated Jounouchi with his stomach. A quick glance at his blonde-haired friend, who was only drooling slightly, confirmed it. Catching Honda's eye, Yugi shrugged his shoulders as Honda looked at him dejectedly and took the broom out of his hands.

"One of these days, Jounouchi, I'm going to make a deal with Jii-chan that **you're** going to regret," Honda stated, his eyes boring into Jounouchi's forehead.

"It's not **that** bad a deal. A couple hours of work and some free lunch? That's an awesome deal," Jounouchi retorted. "The money I owe is paid off and I may even get a few extra cards out of this."

"**I** don't consider it a fair deal at all since I have to work to pay off **your** debts. And who paid for breakfast this morning, on top of that?" Honda's indignation was almost palpable. Yugi and Yami were both wondering if there was a chance they'd have to step in and break up a brewing fight.

Much as Jii-chan knew Jounouchi's weakness was his stomach, so Jounouchi knew Honda's. "Oh and did I mention that Shizuka's coming to town sometime this week? If you're nice to me, I might just let you take her to the park for some ice cream. Unsupervised."

"Shi… Shizuka? Here? Soon? Unsupervised?" Honda couldn't help the stammering. There was something about Jounouchi's little sister that just made him go all weak in the knees. And the head apparently. Yugi relaxed completely. Leave it to Jounouchi to find a way to ease his best friend's troubles.

"Yup, she called me on Friday to let me know the good news and I thought I'd surprise you with it. But if you're going to balk at a little hard work, I may just have to call Otogi…" Jounouchi said, grinning his most devilish grin and noticing that the red on Honda's cheeks was growing.

"Don't you dare call that self-absorbed, dice-throwing freak! He doesn't know how to treat a girl right. He'd be putting the moves on her the second she was out of your sight." Honda couldn't help his outburst – Shizuka had held a special place in his heart since the first time he'd met her. Hell, he'd sacrificed himself in the virtual world just to make sure she'd stayed safe.

"All right, all right. I promise not to call him if you quit whining about helping to clean Jii-chan's store. We'll work out the rest of the details later." Jounouchi gave Honda a pointed look and saw the defeat in his friend's eyes. Honda would do anything to spend some time with Shizuka, alone, and Jounouchi knew that his sister couldn't possibly be in safer company.

"Okay," Honda agreed dreamily and headed for the front of the store. Jii-chan liked to clean from front to back, from outside to inside. The first step then was to clean the sidewalk in front of the store and shake out the Welcome mat he kept there. No doubt thoughts of Shizuka would keep him out there for a while. Yugi would have to make sure to check on him once in a while to make sure he hadn't fallen into some daydream world where he and Shizuka were alone and no chance of Jounouchi showing up to spoil the fun.

As Honda wandered away, goofy grin and all, Yugi reached under the front counter and threw a cloth at Jounouchi. With a little bit of Yami's help, Yugi's throw landed squarely across his friend's place.

"Hey! What was that for?" Jounouchi asked, staring daggers at Yugi. The cloth smelled like old cheese, sausage and sweat socks and he hurriedly pulled it off his face.

"That was for making a deal with Jii-chan," Yugi replied, "and getting Honda caught up in it."

"He didn't seem to mind once I brought up Shizuka. And Jii-chan? He **knows** my most favourite thing in the world is food. His chicken curry is to **die** for!" Drool started to trickle once more from the corner of his mouth and he hurriedly used the reeking cloth to wipe it away – a mistake he would try not to repeat in the future. The cloth smelled even worse now.

"You may experience that one day should Honda ever truly balk at paying your debts. One day, you won't have Shizuka around to use as bait for Honda," Yami stated, taking over for just a moment to let Jounouchi have a piece of his mind. He was starting to get tired of seeing Honda get 'the short end of the stick' from his best friend. Yugi nodded in agreement even though Jounouchi would never be able to see it.

Jounouchi took one look at the Pharaoh's crimson-tinted eyes and gulped faintly. They were right, of course. He had manipulated his friend a lot over the course of the last few days. "I know. It's just so easy to get him to do what I want right now. It seems like he **wants** to keep me busy for some reason. I promise, though, that I'll make it up to him in the future. Today is the last day that I'll take advantage of his niceness. I swear!"

"Good, see that it is or I may be forced to make a deal that you **really** won't like," Yami replied, reinforcing his words with a hard look at Jounouchi. He saw him start to sweat at his words and smiled gently. "No, it won't be a trip to the Shadow Realm. That is reserved for really bad guys."

"Good. You had me worried there for a second." Jounouchi wiped his brow, again with the fetid cloth, and shuddered. How something so smelly could be used to clean the store was beyond him but he would endure a million of those cloths to keep the Pharaoh from looking at him like that again. And he owed it to Honda to clean as much inside the store as possible so he could daydream outside all he wanted. That seemed fair enough to him. He might even tell Shizuka that it would be okay to hold Honda's hand when they went for ice cream. Maybe even a peck on the cheek… no, that was going too far. She was his little sister, after all.

"Now let's get started. The faster we clean the front, the faster we get to eat that amazing curry," Yugi said, hoping that would both soothe and motivate Jounouchi into action. Yugi would also make sure to be extra nice to Honda in the future since he was at Jounouchi's beck and call to keep him from questioning too deeply about Anzu's whereabouts. That much sacrifice deserved a very special reward.

Yugi would make sure that Honda got one. Even if it killed Jounouchi. :)

* * *

Thank you so much for reading this far and for putting up with my insane craziness. And I apologize again for taking so long to upload this chapter. And yes, it's taking me some time to get back into the swing of writing. I hope to have the finale for the dance contest written some time in the near future and I promise it won't take over a year come out.

Leave reviews if you like it and as always, I am

Aphrael21;)


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